Tyler, President Obama used rule by FIAT, power of the presidential pen, to expand the power and size of the EPA until it’s now unrecognizable. This came up in the Paris thread, but he moved enormous policy “rules” through the EPA , like the CPP that effectively gave the EPA control over our entire energy sector, without ever bothering with that pesky thing called CONGRESS. In fact, that particular little EPA power grab took power away from the states, and actually stepped all over previous legislation. This is beauracratic agencies as the fourth branch, and I don’t want them to be SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
The EPA is now all three branches rolled into one, with the power to effectively pass write huge legislation, fine you into bankruptcy, or put you in prison for EPA violations.
BUT don’t take my word for it. Here’s one of Obama’s mentors from Harvard, talking about Obama’s rule by fiat on the Clean Power Plan (CPP).