House Republicans Ask Appropriators to Block Funds for Implementing Obama’s Executive Amnesties

March 30, 2015

Rep. Paul Gosar, Ariz., and 14 other House Republicans asked appropriators developing the fiscal year 2016 DHS spending bill to prohibit funding for the president’s most recent executive amnesties. Now that the House budget resolution has passed, House Appropriations Committees will begin to draft FY ’16 spending bills after Members return from recess.

The fifteen House Republicans wrote Rep. John Carter, R-Tex., the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Lucille Roybal Allard, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat, to urge the inclusion of a legislative rider that defunds an expanded version of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program.

The letter in part said:

“Prior to November 20, 2014, President Obama stated 22 times that he did not have the authority to unilaterally change immigration policy. Yet that is exactly what he has done. The federal government already lacks the capacity to process immigration applications for those who seek to follow the rule of law. And though it is discouraging to see a massive, multi-million applicant backlog, the only thing more discouraging is that our government now wishes to prioritize application processing and waive processing fees for individuals who have entered the country illegally. The executive actions on immigration not only disregard the separation of powers, they are a slap in the face to millions seeking opportunity and yearning to be free but are unwilling to make their first actions toward that goal criminal.

“The House of Representatives—indeed, the legislative branch—must take a stand against these overreaching actions. Our constituents sent us to Washington to put a stop to this nonsense…We must assert our constitutional power of the purse against the president.”

Also signing the letter were Republican Reps. Jeff Miller (Fla.), Lou Barletta (Pa.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), Jim Bridenstine (Okla.), Steve King (Iowa), Bob Gibbs (Ohio), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Brian Babin (Texas), Rod Blum (Iowa) and Glenn Grothman (Wis.).