Speech #1140011695

I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct conferees. As the House and Senate come together to find a path forward on funding the Department of Homeland Security. we must reconcile our profound differences over how to handle the Presidents executive actions. But the minority should keep this in mind as we go to conference: the majority of American citizens oppose the Presidents actions on immigration. and they have asked us to fight those actions. The House has acted decisively to fulfill that mandate. Six weeks ago. when the House approved a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security until the end of the fiscal year. the House also by large margins approved six amendments to stop the Presidents farreaching actions. The President himself has saidno fewer than 22 timesthat he does not have the authority to change our immigration laws unilaterally. Now the courts have weighed in. saying that no law has given the President the power to make these sweeping changes to our immigration policies. The evidence is overwhelming on this side of the debate. Now. we can vote again. but the outcome will be the same. The American people have spoken. We must stand up against the administrations overreach on immigration. While it is clear the President will not fulfill or act within the bounds of the law. we in Congress are here to defend our Constitution. to provide those checks and balances that our Founding Fathers put into place to ensure the President does not act like a king. Madam Speaker.