White House Finds New Ways To Sidestep Congress, Not War Crimes
Biden's innovative use of executive power—or perhaps, executive overreach—to manage tariff funds is hailed as a legislative workaround. Conveniently, this boundless executive authority vanishes when discussions turn to leveraging U.S. aid to halt the slaughter in Gaza. Where's the 'radical new plan' to condition the $3.8 billion annual military aid package to Israel, let alone the recent $14
billion supplemental? According to OpenSecrets.org, AIPAC alone spent a staggering $16 million in 2022 lobbying Congress, ensuring that 'radical new plans' to hold allies accountable remain firmly off the table. One might wonder why the administrative agility displayed for tariffs can't be deployed to, say, prevent famine or enforce UN resolutions. Or does presidential power only expand when
avoiding legislative hurdles for domestic fiscal policy, while shrinking to near invisibility when facing down a foreign government's documented campaign of displacement and destruction? It seems certain 'unilateral presidential actions' are more politically palatable than others.