--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Over a two-year period, the Obama…" description: "\"“Over a two-year period, the Obama administration delayed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act twenty-eight times, ostensibly to give employer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/brion-t-mcclanahan-30009_affordable-care-act_over-a-two-year-period-the-obama-adminis_2915287.jpg" --- # Over a two-year period, the Obama administration delayed… ![“Over a two-year period, the Obama administration delayed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act twenty-eight times, ostensibly to give employers time to comply with the law.9 This was a blatantly unconstitutional power grab by the executive office. Congress alone has the power to legislate…” quote by Brion T. McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/brion-t-mcclanahan-30009_affordable-care-act_over-a-two-year-period-the-obama-adminis_2915287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/brion-t-mcclanahan-30009_affordable-care-act_over-a-two-year-period-the-obama-adminis_2915287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/brion-t-mcclanahan-30009_affordable-care-act_over-a-two-year-period-the-obama-adminis_2915287.jpg) > ““Over a two-year period, the Obama administration delayed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act twenty-eight times, ostensibly to give employers time to comply with the law.9 This was a blatantly unconstitutional power grab by the executive office. Congress alone has the power to legislate, and once a law is passed and signed by the president, the executive branch has a constitutional responsibility to enforce that law. Obama had no legal authority to issue such delays, particularly in regard to employer and individual mandates. These mandates would have been (and are) painful and probably would have resulted in even larger losses for the Democrats in the 2014 election cycle.”” [Brion T. McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-t-mcclanahan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The administration repeatedly postponed ACA enforcement, overstepping constitutional limits and undermining democratic lawmaking. **In simple terms:** Delays violated constitutional separation of powers. Key Takeaway Enforce laws as passed. Themes government law constitution executive power policy implementation Mood skeptical analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - healthcare rollout - legislative process - political strategy - public administration Key Concepts constitutional law executive overreach Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified for an executive to delay a law for practical reasons? - What safeguards prevent executive overreach? A Different Perspective Delays may have been intended to ease transition, though legality is questionable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Administration Delayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration-delayed-4219872/) [Affordable care act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affordable-care-act/) [Congress Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress-power-314889/) [Executive branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executive-branch/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Obama administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-administration/) [Obama Legal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-legal-4219874/) [Period Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period-obama-4219873/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“...the Constitution is an invitation for the president and Congress to struggle for the privilege of directing foreign policy. 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McClanahan > [“Southerner Tom Watson, a populist Jeffersonian from Georgia, faced potential prosecution under the law because his newspaper often opposed Wilson’s war aims and policies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-t-mcclanahan/southerner-tom-watson-a-populist-jeffersonian-from-georgia-faced/) [Brion T. McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-t-mcclanahan/) > [“The Supreme Court upheld the law in the 2012 decision of National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, but not because it believed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-t-mcclanahan/the-supreme-court-upheld-the-law-in-the-2012-decision-of-national/) [Brion T. 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McClanahan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-t-mcclanahan/) ## More Affordable care act quotes > [Building great public schools and universities, a strong health care system, including keeping the Affordable Care Act, and then an economy that works well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-castro/building-great-public-schools-and-universities-a-strong-health-care/) [Joaquin Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-castro/) > [ Senator \[Tom\] Cotton has campaigned on wanting to kill Obamacare. 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