[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 44 (Monday, March 21, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING THE SPEAKER TO APPEAR AS AMICUS CURIAE ON BEHALF OF THE 
                                 HOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. KAREN BASS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2016

  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I submit this statement to publicly express my 
strong opposition to H. Res. 639. I will vote against this resolution 
as I have already signed onto an amicus brief to the Supreme Court 
supporting President Obama's Executive Action on deferred action.
  Today, Speaker Ryan brought a completely partisan resolution to the 
House Floor. H. Res. 639 would grant him the power to file an amicus 
brief with the Supreme Court on behalf of the entire House of 
Representatives to support the one-sided position of only 26 GOP-
controlled states in the partisan lawsuit of United States v. Texas. 
These states are claiming that the Administration did not have the 
legal authority under the laws of the United States to issue its 
Immigration Executive Action in November 2014. Speaker Ryan does not 
reflect my view or the view of many of my fellow colleagues on the 
Hill.
  What Speaker Ryan ignores is that every single Democratic and 
Republican President since Eisenhower has used that authority to take 
action on immigration, including six Republican Presidents, and as 
recently as 2012, the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John 
Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy, recognized the legitimacy of 
Executive Branch discretion in immigration.
  Last year, I joined 181 House Democrats in signing an amicus brief in 
support of President Obama's Executive Action on immigration because 
the deferred action programs derive from the Executive Branch's 
longstanding legal authority to exercise discretion in the enforcement 
of our immigration laws, to take necessary actions to carry out the 
Executive's authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and to 
establish national immigration enforcement policies and priorities.
  Instead of these divisive and partisan actions, Speaker Ryan should 
take up comprehensive immigration reform that sets out a path to 
citizenship for the millions of people leaving in the United States.

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