Sen. Marco Rubio said any plan by the White House to raise taxes by executive order would further undermine the country's foundation.
Appearing on Fox News Channel's
"The Kelly File" on Tuesday, Rubio said the Obama administration has "lost total respect for the separation of powers, total respect for our system of government and total respect for the Constitution."
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Friday suggesting the Internal Revenue Service use executive actions to close loopholes for corporate taxes.
When White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about Sanders' letter on Monday, he replied, "The president certainly has not indicated any reticence in using his executive authority to try and advance an agenda that benefits middle class Americans."
Earnest said he is unaware of any imminent announcements, but added that President Barack Obama has asked his team to examine "the array of executive authorities that are available to him to try to make progress on his goals.
"So I am not in a position to talk in any detail at this point, but the president is very interested in this avenue generally," Earnest said.
Obama has been under fire from Republicans, and some liberals, including constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley, over his use of executive actions to go around Congress to make law. Turley has testified before Congress that Obama is pushing toward a constitutional crisis that would make the legislative branch irrelevant if they don't act to stop him.
Obama has used executive actions to change parts of his signature health care law and more recently granted legal status to 5 million illegal immigrants. The latter case is currently on hold while a Texas federal judge reviews the case.
Rubio told Fox News on Tuesday Obama is creating a dangerous pattern that will create precedence for future presidents.
"No matter how you feel about taxes or immigration or anything else, when you have a president writing law through executive order in unconstitutional ways, it undermines the very foundation of the republic," Rubio said. "It goes much deeper than how you feel about these issues."
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