[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 402-403]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Byrne) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BYRNE. Madam Speaker, just last month, we made a promise to the 
American people. We promised our constituents that we would fight the 
Obama administration's decision to give executive amnesty to many of 
those in this country illegally.
  I am pleased to announce that this week the House will fulfill that 
promise and act to defund the illegal executive action. All last year, 
we strongly urged the President not to act alone, and the American 
people spoke clearly in last November's election, but the President 
forged ahead anyway.
  Now, in order to preserve our Nation's longstanding system of checks 
and balances to preserve the very order of our Constitution, the House 
will act to rein in President Obama's plans for executive amnesty.
  We will vote on legislation, which I was proud to cosponsor, written 
by my Alabama colleague, Congressman Robert Aderholt, which would 
prevent the President from carrying out his plans for executive 
amnesty.
  Let me be clear: this is tough legislation which completely 
eliminates all funds for implementation of the President's illegal 
actions. The bill has the support of many leading voices in the 
immigration debate including my home State Senator, Jeff Sessions.
  Just as important, the legislation makes clear that no Federal 
benefits can be granted to any alien as a result of the policies 
defunded and also eliminates funds to consider new, renewal, or 
previously-denied applications for executive amnesty.
  The legislation doesn't just defund the President's executive action. 
The legislation paves the way for stronger border security by 
increasing funds for border agents, detention beds, and enforcement 
activities.
  In order to halt illegal immigration in this country, we must stop 
encouraging illegal immigration by offering amnesty and instead put 
more attention on actually securing our borders.
  I wish this legislation wasn't necessary. I wish President Obama had 
listened to the American people and enforced our current laws instead 
of continuing his my-way-or-the-highway style of governing; instead, he 
moved ahead with action that clearly violates our Constitution and has 
poisoned the well for serious conversation on immigration reform.

[[Page 403]]

  Madam Speaker, I must ask a simple question that has very serious 
consequences: When will it stop? When will President Obama stop issuing 
shortsighted executive action and instead work together with this 
Congress to find long-term solutions to the real issues plaguing our 
country?
  I fear that the answer to that question is not promising, given that 
while we were on this floor taking our oath of office, the White House 
was busy issuing veto threats.
  I understand that the legislative process may not be convenient for 
the President, but the process exists for a reason. The Congress makes 
the laws, and the President should enforce them. This President just 
doesn't get that.
  This week, the House will act to rein in the President once again. We 
will attempt to right the scales of power and restore our 
constitutional system of checks and balances.
  We cannot and we will not sit back idly and allow the President to 
act alone. We promised the American people we would respond, and this 
week, we will hold true to our word.

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