# Are there any legislative checks or balances on executive orders?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 8, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240 "2018-03-08T15:27:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240/1 "2018-03-08T15:27:58Z")

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Take, for example, Trump’s intention to place tariffs on steel and aluminum. Presumably, he would impose these charges via executive order, or some other presidential prerogative. Does congress have any capacity to override or modify such a thing?

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240/2 "2018-03-08T15:34:17Z")

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[Here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/opinion/is-trumps-tariff-plan-constitutional.html)’s an OpEd piece that talks about that.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240/3 "2018-03-08T15:35:53Z")

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All executive orders, with a few minor exceptions (such as the president’s full control over the military) are issued pursuant to enabling legislation that delegates congressional powers to the president. If Congress decides they don’t like steel tariffs, they can pass legislation removing the president’s ability to implement them unilaterally. Of course, such legislation would probably have to be passed over a presidential veto.

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-legislative-checks-or-balances-on-executive-orders/810240/4 "2018-03-08T16:18:50Z")

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Private litigation by a party harmed by the order can enjoin an order if the court finds that a statutory basis for the order is lacking. That was the [Steel Seizure Case](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youngstown_Sheet_%26_Tube_Co._v._Sawyer).

We have also, of course, seen recently a willingness in the courts to enjoin a Trump executive order that sought to repeal an earlier executive order.