ACLJ Represented House Speaker in Court Decision that Deals "Stinging Rebuke" to Obama's "Recess Appointments"

January 25, 2013

2 min read

Constitution

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(Washington, DC) - The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, said today’s decision by a federal appeals court declaring President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board unconstitutional represents a “stinging rebuke” to a flawed effort to bypass the Senate in making those appointments. ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow represented House Speaker John Boehner in an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to declare the action unconstitutional.

“This decision represents a stinging rebuke to the unprecedented and unconstitutional actions of President Obama,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “This decision is sound and well-reasoned and respects both the Constitution and the separation of powers. From the very beginning, no one questioned the President's authority to make recess appointments, but those must occur when the Senate is in recess, which we asserted, and the appeals court concluded, is clearly not the case here. While the Justice Department may decide to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court, the appeals court decision today sends a strong message rejecting this Presidential overreach.”

Sekulow filed an amicus brief with the appeals court on behalf of House Speaker John Boehner urging the court to reject the Obama appointments. The amicus brief is posted here.

At the same time, the ACLJ urged the Senate to take action to take decisive action opposing those appointments. Further, the ACLJ heard from nearly 90,000 Americans who demanded President Obama to abide by the Constitution.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, is based in Washington, D.C.