04.11 Obama Likely to Face Challenges From Republicans, Democrats in New Congress: Analysts
WASHINGTON, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - US President Barack Obama is likely to face challenges to his exercise of executive power by both Republicans and Democrats following the midterm election of a new Congress, experts told RIA Novosti Monday.
"I see a possible trend toward more political allegations of lawlessness on the part of the [future] administration," lawyer and senior counsel at the Constitutional Accountability Center Simon Lazarus said.
New grouping of Republicans could be "eager to flex what muscle they think they have" to challenge the president's executive power, Lazarus said, though also pointing out the perspective "cementing of informed, expert legal opinion that there is no basis" to that.
Latest polling data shows the likelihood of Republicans winning control of both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives), increasing the odds of pushing stalled House bills through the Senate and pushing their agenda to the fore.
Obama however may also be facing opposition by members of his own Democratic party if he chooses to veto legislation, according to Michael Bernstam, a researcher at Stanford University's Hoover Institute.
"Obama can, of course, veto many of the new Republican initiatives. But it would be hard because many Democrats, especially those who are up for reelection in 2016 might abandon him and help override the veto," Bernstam noted, referring to the likelihood that a Republican majority in both houses will push tough legislation on Obama.
At the beginning of his new term, Obama stated that he would counter Congressional gridlock by using a pen and a phone, which provoked a lot of criticism from both the American citizens and the Congress members.
US House Speaker John Boehner is pursuing a lawsuit against Barack Obama over abuse of power. House Republicans have argued that Obama is abusing his authority by side-stepping Congress on immigration, healthcare and other policies.
