# Executive Orders Issued by United States Presidents



## SeaBreeze (Nov 14, 2014)

Lots of hubbub on the airwaves about what an incredible amount of executive orders that President Obama has issues.  Decided to look him up in comparison of some past presidents. Here's more if you're interested... http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html


President Barack Obama - (2009-present) = 191 executive orders

President George W. Bush - (2001-2009) = 291 executive orders

President Bill Clinton - (1993-2001) = 364 executive orders

President George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) = 166 executive orders

President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) = 381 executive orders

President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) = 320 executive orders

President Gerald Ford (1974-1977) = 169 executive orders

President Richard Nixon (1969-1974) = 346 executive orders


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Nov 14, 2014)

Note, the only two Presidents with less executive orders were one-term Presidents.  The current POTUS has the lowest number of any of the Presidents on the chart, if you break it down on a per year basis.  Yet, if you listen to the political pundits, you'd think the current POTUS had issued some huge, record number of orders.

The threatened executive order relative to immigration reform is at the top of today's news.  The POTUS has asked that Congress act on immigration.  They refuse to do so.  The Republicans want to fluff their feathers and crow... like roosters... about all the undocumented who are coming into the Country.  They won't do anything about it, due to lobbying pressure from large corporations.  Too may political contributors hire the undocumented workers, pay cash, and won't pay a living wage.  If the majority of these undocumented workers were suddenly given 10-year status, they would/could ask for more money and they would pay taxes.  

Congress has every opportunity to beat the POTUS to the punch.  Generate and pass an immigration reform bill.  They won't do it, but chide the POTUS for moving something forward.  Politics!!!!  So interesting... So depressing!!!


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## Warrigal (Nov 14, 2014)

Facts don't count nearly as much as impressions. The media helps to create impressions to favour their chosen political parties. Before our last election the public gained the impression that the Labor government was chaotic. It wasn't; it was doing it's job of passing legislation even though the numbers in both houses were difficult for them. However, the then Opposition took every opportunity to create chaos during Question Time with stunts and by repeating over and over again that the Prime Minister was a liar and that the country was in dire economic emergency. The mainstream media was complicit in supporting them. Few media outlets bothered to report the facts or criticise the opposition for their tactics which bordered on the outrageous.

Now we have a government that is truly chaotic, changing policy at every turn and either breaking pre-election promises or attempting to introduce punitive policies that were never mentioned in their campaign. They blame their predecessors for every negative and the perception lingers that they were the chaotic ones and that the current government has a Herculean task to clean up their mess. 

IMO this is Goebbels Communications 101 and the Volk still haven't wised up.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 14, 2014)

The Senate passed an immigration bill over a year ago and sent it to the House..  John Boehner has never allowed it to come up for a vote.  They could do an immigration bill NOW and send it back to the Senate... yet they refuse to do so..  The President is doing what he can to get something done.  He has said that if the House passes an immigration bill it will negate his executive order...Nothing is stopping them from passing the Senate bill, or writing their own bill....  YET... all they want to do is light their hair on fire.   They don't want to do their job.. and have been itching to impeach this President since January 21st 2009..  I say... go ahead... go for it..


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 14, 2014)

Here's an article on the possible executive order on immigration.  I think if the GOP is smart, they'll take care of immigration now, and maybe raise the minimum wage to a decent amount like $15 an hour.  If they do a few things that will help the American people, and put their mission to oust the President on the back burner, they may even win the 2016 election.  http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/11/13/right-wing-media-wrong-about-the-legality-of-th/201553


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## rkunsaw (Nov 15, 2014)

You failed to mention that not a single one of the executive orders by all the other presidents were against the constitution or contrary to existing law. That is the difference.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 15, 2014)

rkunsaw said:


> You failed to mention that not a single one of the executive orders by all the other presidents were against the constitution or contrary to existing law. That is the difference.



I keep hearing that his EOs are "Against the Constitution"  or that he is "Lawless"..  Can you please detail for me exactly WHICH EO is illegal.. and exactly HOW it goes against the Constitution?  Now I don't mean FOX's interpretation.. but a real Constitutional Law citing.     I never hear these details and would appreciate being enlightened..


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## Twixie (Nov 15, 2014)

SeaBreeze said:


> Here's an article on the possible executive order on immigration.  I think if the GOP is smart, they'll take care of immigration now, and maybe raise the minimum wage to a decent amount like $15 an hour.  If they do a few things that will help the American people, and put their mission to oust the President on the back burner, they may even win the 2016 election.  http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/11/13/right-wing-media-wrong-about-the-legality-of-th/201553



We also have a problem with immigration..due to EU ruling..''The free flowing exchange of the workforce within the EU''. 

We are now inundated with thousands of Polish workers who are willing to undercut British workers..we are forced to pay ''child benefit'' for children in Poland who have never set a foot in the UK...our NHS is on it's knees..

People who were born here, cannot get a menial job..

''It is not racist to be concerned about unbridled immigration''


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## QuickSilver (Nov 15, 2014)

Found this ..

http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch




> The President has the power either to sign legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations, and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which also must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate.* The President can issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws*. The President also has unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment.



Therefore, I understand this to mean that while the President cannot MAKE law, he can decide HOW to implement a law.. and to clarify a law.   In regard to immigration, he cannot grant amnesty, but he can direct the DOJ to NOT deport undocumented people.. and to grant work visas or residential visas on a case by case basis..  So the Dreamers and their families could stay and PAY TAXES..


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## Twixie (Nov 15, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> Found this ..
> 
> http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch
> 
> ...



As long as Eastern Europeans who work here declare their homes in Poland as their prime residence..they get every penny back they have paid in taxes..even though they use our facilities!!


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## Bee (Nov 15, 2014)

Twixie said:


> We also have a problem with immigration..due to EU ruling..''The free flowing exchange of the workforce within the EU''.
> 
> _*We are now inundated with thousands of Polish workers who are willing to undercut British workers..*_we are forced to pay ''child benefit'' for children in Poland who have never set a foot in the UK...our NHS is on it's knees..
> 
> People who were born here, cannot get a menial job..



It is not so much the Polish workers are willing to undercut British workers but a lot of British workers will _*not*_ work for minimum wage and would rather be on the dole, whereas the Polish workers as long as they have work and not languishing about all day _*will*_ work for the minimum wage.



Myself and children went with my then husband overseas (not EU countries) for his work, we lived in two different countries and he paid taxes etc to those countries, when we came back here to live and work permanently I reapplied for my child allowance and was back paid for the time we were out of the country.......this was back in 1982.


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## BobF (Nov 15, 2014)

First, before the Congress has time to argue about the illegal residents they must put together a budget and get funds for the Obama government that will soon be out of money to spend.    Next, again before the Congress wants to start paying all these illegals they want to have a law that closes the borders of the US to all trying to sneak in.   Without an effort to close the borders they will continue to come by the busload and trainloads, just like this last large group of south of the border children and young people have done.

Obama just does not want to shut our borders as has been asked for over many years now.   But that will not stop our government of today from keeping taking in more and more illegals and being stuck with the problem of taking care of them for many, many, years.

Our liberal ones in the government have not idea of fairness to the existing citizens and the cost of the illegals to our medical and school and police systems.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Nov 15, 2014)

BobF said:


> First, before the Congress has time to argue about the illegal residents they must put together a budget and get funds for the Obama government that will soon be out of money to spend. Next, again before the Congress wants to start paying all these illegals they want to have a law that closes the borders of the US to all trying to sneak in. Without an effort to close the borders they will continue to come by the busload and trainloads, just like this last large group of south of the border children and young people have done
> Obama just does not want to shut our borders as has been asked for over many years now. But that will not stop our government of today from keeping taking in more and more illegals and being stuck with the problem of taking care of them for many, many, years.
> 
> Our liberal ones in the government have not idea of fairness to the existing citizens and the cost of the illegals to our medical and school and police systems.




"... have a law that closes the borders..."  We already have that.  Why do you think the immigrants are referred to as "illegal".  Neither political party will fund putting military on the border and closing it like the old Iron Curtain.  That is the ONLY way to put a stop to illegal entry across out borders... gunships and shoot on sight orders.  I don't believe any of us want our Country responsible for killing and murdering women and children who try to cross the border.  Some suggest a fence.  Sheesh!  Tell me how you will build a fence that cannot be tunneled under, laddered over, or cut through.  Electrify it??  Again, you will have fried human remains scattered for miles.  Is that what you want?  
The issue of illegal immigration goes back far beyond this President.  I worked law enforcement for a short time in the 1970's in a railroad town.  The illegals would jump from the trains as they slowed to go through our town.  We'd round them up, put them in a cell.  INS (That's what is was referred to at that time) would bring a van, load them up, and ship them back to Mexico.  We would see the same people show up in about 2 to 3 weeks.  They were looking for work.  Some got by us and found work with the farmers in the area.  Most got sent back home.

You also mention the cost of educating, feeding, and providing medical care for the immigrants.  If you give them work visas... or a path to citizenship... they will be paying taxes just like you and I.  Most are working somewhere now.  If they must stay "out of sight of the government", they are being paid cash 'under the table'.  Make them "legal" so they can compete for jobs with anyone else.  That way, the corporations would need to pay a living wage and the competiton becomes fair.  Leave it so the undocumented will... have to work for wages far below current minimum wage and we do lose good jobs to them.

1.  There is no way to shut down our borders without maintaining a military presence that reaches far beyond the land border with Mexico.  Boats can haul thousands, just like trucks.
2.  Establish a means by which the undocumented will be paying taxes.  Those taxes will pay their fair share of medical, schooling, and food.
3.  Get politics out of the picture.  An immigration reform bill was passed by the Senate a year ago and Boehner would not bring it before the House.  The Republicans don't want their political cronies to lose the cheap labor.  The Democrats don't want to lose a demographic that usually votes "blue".

With all due respect, there are means through which to make those entering our Country contributors to our industries, our professional careers, our military, our schools... OUR neighborhoods.  It is sad, in my opinion, that we do nothing but look for ways to ship what could be such an asset to our Country back to the squalor of their native lands.  This Great Land took in immigrants from Europe, Asia, Russia... world wide... who have been contributors to our society and our economy.  The border with Mexico has become nothing but a political hot-potato with each Party looking for ways they can gain something over the other.  We have lowered ourselves to not thinking for ourselves about how to make this a positive issue.  Instead we listen to political pundits on radio and television who know that stirring turmoil builds an audience.  We play political games with fellow human beings as the pawns.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 15, 2014)

From the NYTimes: 

President Obama will ignore angry protests from Republicans and announce as soon as next week a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration enforcement system that will protect up to five million unauthorized immigrants from the threat of deportation and provide many of them with work permits, according to administration officials who have direct knowledge of the plan. 

Asserting his authority as president to enforce the nation’s laws with discretion, Mr. Obama intends to order changes that will significantly refocus the activities of the government’s 12,000 immigration agents. One key piece of the order, officials said, will allow many parents of children who are American citizens or legal residents to obtain legal work documents and no longer worry about being discovered, separated from their families and sent away. 

That part of Mr. Obama’s plan alone could affect as many as 3.3 million people who have been living in the United States illegally for at least five years, according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, an immigration research organization in Washington. But the White House is also considering a stricter policy that would limit the benefits to people who have lived in the country for at least 10 years, or about 2.5 million people. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/us/obama-immigration.html?_r=1


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 15, 2014)

Grumpy Ol' Man said:


> "... have a law that closes the borders..."  We already have that.  Why do you think the immigrants are referred to as "illegal".  Neither political party will fund putting military on the border and closing it like the old Iron Curtain.  That is the ONLY way to put a stop to illegal entry across out borders... gunships and shoot on sight orders.  I don't believe any of us want our Country responsible for killing and murdering women and children who try to cross the border.  Some suggest a fence.  Sheesh!  Tell me how you will build a fence that cannot be tunneled under, laddered over, or cut through.  Electrify it??  Again, you will have fried human remains scattered for miles.  Is that what you want?
> The issue of illegal immigration goes back far beyond this President.  I worked law enforcement for a short time in the 1970's in a railroad town.  The illegals would jump from the trains as they slowed to go through our town.  We'd round them up, put them in a cell.  INS (That's what is was referred to at that time) would bring a van, load them up, and ship them back to Mexico.  We would see the same people show up in about 2 to 3 weeks.  They were looking for work.  Some got by us and found work with the farmers in the area.  Most got sent back home.
> 
> You also mention the cost of educating, feeding, and providing medical care for the immigrants.  If you give them work visas... or a path to citizenship... they will be paying taxes just like you and I.  Most are working somewhere now.  If they must stay "out of sight of the government", they are being paid cash 'under the table'.  Make them "legal" so they can compete for jobs with anyone else.  That way, the corporations would need to pay a living wage and the competiton becomes fair.  Leave it so the undocumented will... have to work for wages far below current minimum wage and we do lose good jobs to them.
> ...



Excellent post, good points, I completely agree.


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## BobF (Nov 15, 2014)

The intent of the Conservative types is to stop all hese illegal crossings.   We have  some fences and some border patrol areas but it is desired to put fences and patrolled areas completely across our borders.    The way thousands can just walk across our border means we are not protecting our country from illegal entry at all.   That is the problem that many folks want corrected.   Let them apply and enter with permissions for a change.   Many years back that is exactly the way our borders could be crossed.   With permission and there was the ability to take lots of seasonal work for while they were here.   Then they would go back home for a period of a month or two and reenter for another season.   It seemed to work quite well back then.   This current way just allows thousands to enter with no permissions and then they do put a load on our systems in many ways.   This does cost all of us in taxes to support the functions they do demand of us.    Medical, police, schools, being some bigger ones.   And yes boats do try to make land all the time but most do get caught and sent back to somewhere not US.   If we actually did put some organization to work on this problem we could actually help both ourselves and those from other countries wanting to move into the US and make real sure it would be legal for all.


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