Senator Grills Obama Official Over ANWR

The Daily Caller reports:

President Obama, however, designated the area as protected wilderness, and the Republican Congress was given no say in the matter.

Sen. Sullivan asked Ashe why the president thinks he does not require the approval of Congress when making this designation.

“Do you think there’s any other branch of the federal government that has the power to either develop the 1002 area for either oil and gas or make it a wilderness besides this body of Congress?” Sullivan asked.

Ashe responded that he did not.

Sullivan then said, “So how can the president of the United States say he’s going to submit a bill to make the 1002 area wilderness, which is fine. He has the right to do this. It’s got to be approved here. It won’t go anywhere, but in the meantime say ‘I’m going to manage the 1002 area for wilderness anyway.’ That’s what he said on Air Force One to big fanfare.”

He asked, “How can he manage the 1002 area as wilderness, when you don’t have the authority to do that? Can you explain that to me?”

Leftists only worry about the Imperial Executive when Democrats don't control the White House.