Rand Paul opens new line of inquiry: demands WH response on scope of authority to close government

[onenote]

because of threatening weather forecast.

Responding to the administration's decision to shut down DC-based government offices on Wednesday due to the threat of a major snowstorm that did not materialize in the metro area, Rand Paul is demanding that the White House spell out with particularity the scope of the executive branch's authority to shutter the government.

Paul acknowledged that both this administration and prior administrations have ordered DC-area offices to close based on weather forecasts and that, in some instances, the actual storm did not turn out to be as crippling as predicted (while in other instances, the government has been caught flat footed and stayed open in circumstances that put people trying to get home at risk and fouled the roads preventing road crews from keeping major arteries open).

Nonetheless, Paul expressed grave concern at the fact that the administration, while stating that it had the authority to order government offices closed in the event of an "extraordinary" weather occurrence such as a major snow storm or a hurricane, would not expressly state that it would not close the government "arbitrarily" where there was no "imminent" threats to safety.

Paul stated: "I really don't think he would do this, but the thing is is, I'm troubled by the fact that he won't tell us he won't...If he's a good man, and we believe him to be a good man who would never close the government on a beautiful sunny day when its nice enough outside for people to be sitting at a cafe in Foggy Bottom, sitting out in a sidewalk cafe, smoking... oh, that's right you're not allowed to smoke cigarettes anymore. Let's say they're sitting in a cafe, if the President is not going to tell them not to come to work, not to have the government perform its functions, why won't he say he's not going to shut down the government in such a circumstance?"

The administration has now attempted to defuse the situation by sending Paul a letter stating for the record that it won't close the government if the forecast is for nice weather.

[OKNancy]

1. LOL

Enjoyed this post. Thanks

[msanthrope]

2. Nice. nt

[Colorado Rambler]

3. Rand Paul needs to clean up his OWN House

Pffft! If Paul is so worried about government shut-downs, why doesn't he start with the House, which has been waltzing off to do whatever every 3 days out of 5 without addressing any major issues? And why is he filibustering Congress, so that nothing gets done? Hmmm?

His comments about Obama closing down the govt on nice days are so pathetic, they're not even worth the waste of newsprint to report, never mind responding to them.

I've been in Arlington when they've gotten a couple of inches of snow, and drivers there just flip out because they don't know how to drive in snow. I'd shut down DC too, rather than have people sliding into one another and having all sorts of accidents.

Even here in Colorado where people are used to driving in blizzards over high mountain passes, authorities will shut down schools, as well as local and state govt offices if a major storm is forecast.

If that's the best Rand Paul can do, he needs to go to the back of the class (warfare).