Reply #18: very silly == the sky is not falling [View All]

[onenote]

Yes, IF the Vice President (or any other member of the executive branch) issued an "order" it would be an "executive order". But since the head of the Executive Branch is the President, not the VP, it very likely is that the VP has no authority to issue what we commonly refer to as an "Executive Order." To the extent that, for example, the head of the Dept of the Interior issued an order within the scope of his/her authority, it would be an "executive" order, but again, not what we commonly refer to as an Executive Order. And, no one, including the Pres, can issue an executive order that "legislates". From the Wikipedia article referenced by the OP -- "the Supreme Court ruled that an executive order from President Harry S. Truman that placed all steel mills in the country under federal control was invalid because it attempted to make law, rather than clarify or act to further a law put forth by the Congress or the Constitution. Presidents since this decision have generally been careful to cite which specific laws they are acting under when issuing new executive orders."

So, just a silly bit of hysteria.

onenote