Speech #1140082656

Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. I say to my friends across the aisle. who are so passionate about Congress having a role in this casewhere was that enthusiasm when Congress had ample opportunity to prevent this case by doing its job and enacting real. bipartisan. comprehensive immigration reform? The only reason this case exists is Congress did not do its job. And then President Obama had no choice but to act in the limited capacity that he could under the law. He acted within his legal authoritysomething I am confident the court will affirm. And he acted because it would have been inhumane not to do anything while families were being torn apart by our broken immigration policies and this congress failure to fix them. The Democraticcontrolled Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in June 2013. and House Republicans did nothing for more than 500 days before President Obama resorted to the Power of his pen. Now. to authorize the Speaker to file an amicus brief opposing the Presidents actions. rather than acting through the office known as the "Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group." is a break from the usual procedure by which the House weighs in on a matter before the courts in which it may have an interest. This amicus brief. which no one has even yet seen. reflects this majoritys policy of opposing the administrations legal. policy determinations to help immigrant families after having earlier abandoned its reponsibility to do so through statute. I was proud to be one of 225 Democratic members of the House and Senate to sign our own amicus brief last week supporting the administrations position. Im also among the Democratic members of the House proud to cosponsor a reslution today in support of the Presidents executive actions and offering our amicus brief as an alternative to the one Republicans are putting forward to represent the views of the House. And I will continue to work toward the goal of comprehensive immigration reform legislation that offers an earned pathway to citizenship. keeps families together. and makes it easier to recruit and retain talented innovators and entrepreneurs from abroad to contribute to our economy and create jobs here in America. I urge my colleagues to defeat this resolution.