OpenCongress Alaska Group - MyOC Groups

Letter sent to all 3 AK congressional reps tonight regarding administrative rule in this country versus legislative: "I’d like to know your thoughts on the place for administrative rule, and control in this country. What can you do/plan to do to reverse this trend and keep the scope of administrative rule within control of our republic’s legislative influence and control? The current controversial NLRB rushed rule making decision process currently underway prompts me to write you now, but I have a more fundamental concern that really underlies the purpose of this letter to you. While I totally disagree with what the NLRB is doing, and the changes being proposed, the elephant in the room, so to speak, is the underlying question of why such major national impacting issues are not in the legislative arena. The NLRB is not composed of members voted in by the public or Congress. As such they should not be granted powers that have such far reaching impacts…their current planned actions represent far more than just enforcement of existing congressional law. The NLRB actions currently being considered are but the latest examples. The same goes for many actions associated with Human Services, EPA, the American with Disabilities Act, etc. Their ever expanding interpretations and impacts are significant. There should be no autonomous/totally unaccountable organization/public governance body in our nation, other than what is constitutionally provided (i.e. Judiciary). Different and varying degrees of government organization autonomy and management independence is obviously needed and required, but the degree and extent to which allowed should never be totally abnegated by the top authoritative powers: CEOs are still responsible for whatever happens within the organization regardless of how independent a sub-unit performs. You can delegate authority…but never responsibility. The same goes for Congress. Congress has abnegated its legislative responsibilities in too many areas, allowing bureaucrats/administrators to rule by fiat, and interpret legislative intent and agreements in ever increasing new expansions, dramatically impacting our democratic society. We are being ruled more and more by unelected and unaccountable Administrative bodies rather than via our established check and balances legislative process. Administrative authorities have a role and place in managing the day to day implementation of congressional approved laws, and I would agree that this includes their interpretation of how to best administer the known intent/purpose of the underlying congressional law/authority, and within the limits as legislatively agreed upon. But, there ought to still be Congressional oversight/thresholds when actions being taken by administrative bodies generate major impacts throughout the country that should be subject to our county’s founding legislative checks and balances political process. It’s understandable why we have drifted to the extent of administrative government that we have…..it makes it much easier for congress members to keep their hands politically clean of responsibility/or accountability, and haplessly claim they aren’t at fault for the decisions/impacts of others….”Don’t blame me…I didn’t support or make the decisions/rules and/but I can’t control those who do.” That’s the abnegation of congressional responsibility: Administrative functions only have the power and authority given them/allowed by congress. There should be some degree of congressional control to preclude administrative functions from overstepping their given authority when the national impacts really deserve the legislative process for republic governance. Again, I ask: What are your thoughts on the place for administrative rule, and control in this country, and to what extent? What can you do/plan to do to keep the scope of administrative rule within control of our republic’s legislative influence and control? Respectively,