[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           DHS FUNDING AND THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House voted 
with bipartisan support to pass H.R. 240, legislation to fund the 
Department of Homeland Security through September 30, 2015.
  It is our constitutional duty to ensure that our country remains 
safe, and playing politics with Homeland Security funding, when the 
world is as dangerous as it is today, is simply unacceptable. Make no 
doubt about it, it is critically important to stop the President's 
actions on immigration. But at a time like this, it would be gravely 
irresponsible to allow the Department of Homeland Security to shut 
down, or even to have the appearance of that.
  When the executive and legislative branches of our government are in 
disagreement, the judicial branch must play referee, and that is 
exactly what took place when a Federal judge sided with a complaint 
filed by 26 States in opposition to the President's move toward 
amnesty.
  Now that our Federal courts have halted President Obama's executive 
actions, further rulings will closely examine how the President has 
overreached his constitutional authorities.
  Mr. Speaker, considering all of the facts, voting ``yes'' on Homeland 
Security funding yesterday was the right decision. However, this does 
not compromise my position of standing strong against the President's 
executive actions.

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