Has Obama Overreached? Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Executive Powers at Philly's National Constitution Center and Online, June 8

Some have criticized President Obama for expanding the imperial presidency by taking actions without consulting Congress: executive orders on immigration and Obamacare, and recess appointment of judges at home and the deployment of war powers against ISIS, drones, Libya, and more abroad. And in January a new president will take office who might desire the same executive authority. Others argue that this is nothing new, that the President is simply exercising his well-established executive discretion. On Wednesday, June 8th, live in Philadelphia and streaming online, Intelligence Squared U.S. and the National Constitution Center will present the latest in an ongoing series of constitutional debates, on the motion "The President Has Usurped Congress's Constitutional Power."

The Constitution provides that "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States," and it goes on to grant Congress a list of enumerated powers. But some say the executive branch has taken more and more of those powers for itself, both domestically and overseas. Is Congress still the most powerful branch, or is this the era of the imperial presidency? Four highly-regarded constitutional authorities will debate this question.

The debate will also stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On June 8, online viewers can tune in here: http://bit.ly/1WeCRsS.

Arguing for the motion:

* Michael McConnell: Director, Constitutional Law Center & Professor, Stanford Law School

Michael McConnell is the Richard and Frances Mallery Professor of Law and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, as well as senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. A leading authority on constitutional history and constitutional law, he is author of numerous articles and co-author of two casebooks, including The Constitution of the United States. Before joining Stanford in 2009, he served as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He has argued 14 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, served as assistant to the Solicitor General in the Department of Justice, under President Ronald Reagan, and was a member of the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board from 1988 to 1990. 

* Carrie Severino: Chief Counsel & Policy Director, Judicial Crisis Network

Carrie Severino is chief counsel and policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network. In that capacity she has testified before Congress on assorted constitutional issues and briefed senators on judicial nominations. She has written and spoken on a wide range of judicial issues, particularly the constitutional limits on government, the federal nomination process, and state judicial selection. Severino regularly files briefs in U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, McCullen v. Coakley, and Schuette v. BAMN. She has also filed briefs in the Halbig and King cases challenging the Obama Administration’s implementation of Obamacare. She was previously a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and to Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Arguing against the motion:

* Adam Cox: Professor, New York University School of Law:

Adam Cox is the Robert A. Kindler Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, where he teaches and writes about immigration law, constitutional law, and democracy. Before coming to NYU, he was a professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School. He clerked for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. After his clerkship he served as the Karpatkin Civil Rights Fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union, where he was involved in racial profiling and public defender reform litigation, and practiced at Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering, where he first litigated immigration cases. 

* Eric Posner: Professor, University of Chicago Law School

Eric Posner is the Kirkland and Ellis Distinguished Service Professor of Law Arthur and Esther Kane Research Chair at the University of Chicago Law School. His current research interests are international law and constitutional law. His books include The Twilight of International Human Rights (2014), Economic Foundations of International Law (with Alan Sykes) (2013), Contract Law and Theory (2011), The Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic (with Adrian Vermeule) (2011), The Perils of Global Legalism (2009). He writes a column for Slate on legal issues. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute.

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "The President Has Usurped Congress's Constitutional Power"

WHEN: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 / Reception 5:30-6:15 / Debate 6:30-8:00 PM 

WHERE: F.M. Kirby Auditorium at the National Constitution Center / 525 Arch Street / Independence Mall / Philadelphia, PA 19106

TICKETS: $20 for members, teachers, and students / $25 for non-members. To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, nonprofit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to restore civility, reasoned analysis and constructive public discourse to today’s often biased media landscape. IQ2US reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts and interactive digital content. It is one of the top 25 most popular podcasts on iTunes, and has won the 2014 Clarion Award for Radio Regular Feature Program and back-to-back 2013-2014 New York Festivals International Radio Awards for Best Public Affairs Program. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Forbes, Dr. Neal Barnard, Arianna Huffington, Paul Krugman, and Karl Rove. With over 100 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia inspires active citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. We serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional educational and debate, fulfilling our Congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a non-partisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, we bring the United States Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, we bring the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Civic Education Headquarters, we deliver the best educational programs and online resources that inspire, excite, and engage citizens about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.