Advisers to Bush: Bypass Congress, Issue More Executive Orders

Conservatives to Bush: Issue More Executive Orders

By Kenneth T. Walsh

Posted 2/15/07

With President Bush unable to get much traction so far in moving his agenda through Congress or in improving his job-approval ratings with the public, White House advisers are casting about for ways to jump-start his final two years, including issuing executive orders to get things done without having to ask for support from the Democratic-controlled Congress.

"He should get a list of the executive orders for the last 200 years, as a guide, and choose what he wants to do," says an informal Bush adviser. One proposal that fiscal conservatives are pushing is to halve all capital-gains taxes, as a way to encourage investment and job creation.

Some conservatives argue that even if Bush somehow regains his political footing, whatever he might work out with the Democratic majority in Congress wouldn't be very good legislation, so he should go the executive-order route and bypass Congress altogether.