Speech #1140086214

Crime is contagious. If the Government becomes a lawbreaker. it breeds contempt for the law. it invites every man to become a law unto himself. it invites anarchy." Sadly. we are witnessing what happens when the Federal Government becomes a lawbreaker and breeds contempt for the lawanarchy. The Obama administration has created an immigration crisis as a result of its failure to enforce Federal immigration laws on the books. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reported just last week that 2016 could set another record for the number of unaccompanied alien children crossing our southern border. and that from 2011 to 2014. unaccompanied alien children increased by 1.200 percent. Also last week. 1.000 Cuban aliens stormed the Costa RicaPanama border demanding to pass so they could continue their journey to enter the United States illegally. Article I. section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress clear jurisdiction on immigration matters. and President Obamas executive actions on immigration clearly infringe on that authority. The President even admitted that fact 22 times previously when he stated he did not have the authority to take the executive actions he ultimately ended up taking. [ 2100 Justice Kennedy rightfully pointed out today that DAPA is a legislative act. not an administrative act. Thus. its creation is unconstitutional. and the Supreme Court should uphold the lower courts ruling that halted Obamas illegal actions. What incentive do Americans have to follow the rule of law themselves if they have no faith that their government will do the same? How can lawmakers ask immigrants seeking to migrate lawfully to our country to follow these rules when this President so blatantly violates those same rules? Unfortunately. if we dont take bold action now to hold the President accountable for his lawlessness. we risk permanently damaging the integrity of all our laws beyond all repair. The good news is there is a solution. The House must utilize our power of the purse to block any and all funding for the Presidents executive amnesty orders. I am attempting to do just that and recently spearheaded an appropriations rider supported by 35 of my colleagues to block funding for all executive actions on immigration dating back to Returning to the rule of law begins with the House enforcing its own constitutional power of the purse. We must fundamentally reject the Presidents legacy of lawlessness and renew the faith that we all place in the rule of law.