[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 143 (Thursday, November 20, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S6192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, today I express my opposition to the 
President's plan to grant executive amnesty to 4 million to 5 million 
illegal immigrants residing in the United States.
  By circumventing Congress on immigration and instituting his will 
through executive actions, President Obama is eroding the very 
foundation of our country and form of government. This sets a dangerous 
precedent where future Presidents can flout any law they happen to 
disagree with and alter the law without going through Congress. Each 
branch of government is to act as a check against the others and not 
sit idly by as one exercises authority it does not have. A 
constitutional law professor should know that.
  I believe we all agree that our immigration system is broken--both 
the legal system which allows individuals to visit and work in our 
country and the failures which continue to allow others to reside 
illegally within our borders. The first step we need to take to fix our 
system is to secure our borders and bolster interior enforcement. We 
cannot reduce illegal immigration without better border security and 
entry/exit enforcement measures. We also need to ensure that we have a 
strong, workable employment verification system in place, because if 
Congress can ensure that only authorized job seekers gain employment in 
this country, then we remove the incentive for illegal immigration--and 
we cannot grant those who are here illegally amnesty.
  Yet this week the President intends to circumvent the will of 
Congress by illegally granting amnesty to 4 millions to 5 million 
illegal immigrants. This cannot stand. The American people do not want 
it, some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have advocated 
against it, and the President himself has said more than 20 times that 
he does not have the authority to take this action. I am certain that 
the Republicans in the Senate will take action next year when we become 
the majority, and I look forward to being a part of that cause.
  But I must be clear: this is part of a much larger fight. I know all 
of my colleagues remember the unconstitutional NLRB recess appointments 
the President made in 2012. In that case, the Supreme Court rejected 
his move, but it hasn't stopped the President from pushing forward. He 
has proposed a cap and tax proposal through regulation that Congress 
has already rejected, and I know my colleagues from coal-producing 
States intend to fight that EPA rule with me. I know my colleagues from 
Western States also intend to join me in fighting the EPA's proposed 
rule that could allow the administration to regulate all bodies of 
water, no matter how small, and regardless of whether the water is on 
public or private property.
  This week's action is the latest step too far by the President, and I 
will continue to fight executive overreach--including amnesty by 
executive order--whether by targeting rampant, unaccountable Federal 
spending, working to reverse illegal executive orders with legitimate 
Federal laws or using the Congressional Review Act to reject the 
President's actions. I will be looking closely at every option.

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