REALLY? THAT'S THE ROUTE WE'RE GOING?

The administration notes that parts of laws are delayed in implementation all the time -- including various pieces of the tax code.

A Treasury official said the administration has "longstanding administrative authority to grant transition relief when implementing new legislation like the ACA."

But three House committees are already looking into the decision, with Republicans complaining about a disturbing trend where the president decides which laws to enforce and which to ignore.

Darrell Issa of California, the chairman of Oversight and Government Reform, called the decision "another in a string of extra legal actions" taken by Obama.

"As a former constitutional law teacher, President Obama must know that this action gets into very questionable constitutional territory," Issa said in a statement to CQ Roll Call. 

Follow @brothersjudd