McConnell: Obama Executive Action On Illegals Immigration “Is Not How Democracy Is Supposed To Work ... Because He Told Us So Himself"
Today In Washington, D.C. - Nov. 20, 2014
The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. At 2 PM, the Senate will vote on confirmation of the nominations of Pamela Pepper to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Brenda Sannes to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York, Madeline Cox Arleo to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, Wendy Beetlestone to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Victor Allen Bolden to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.
Following those votes, a series of voice votes will be held on ambassador nominees to Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Jamaica, Albania, and Slovenia. Also scheduled for voice votes are nominees for the U.S. Tax Court.
More votes on nominations are possible today.
Yesterday, the Senate voted to invoke cloture on the Pepper, Sannes, Arleo, Beetlestone, and Bolden nominations. Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed by voice vote nominees to be ambassadors to Bosnia, Turkmenistan, Botswana, Fiji, and Madagascar, and the nomination of Michele Jeanne Sison to be deputy representative of the U.S. to the UN, the UN General Assembly, and the UN Security Council.
The House reconvened at 9 AM today. Today the House will consider H.R. 4795 — "To promote new manufacturing in the United States by providing for greater transparency and timeliness in obtaining necessary permits, and for other purposes." The House is expected to recess shortly after Noon.
Yesterday the House passed:
H.R. 3398 (Voice Vote) — "To authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries, and for other purposes."
H.R. 3583 (Voice Vote) — "To expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program."
H.R. 4012 (237-190) — "To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible."
H.R. 5681 (Voice Vote) — "To provide for the approval of the Amendment to the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes."
H.R. 5728 (Voice Vote) — "To amend the Communications Act of 1934 and title 17, United States Code, to extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for other purposes."
H.R. 5448 — "To amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."
Today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) released a statement regarding President Obama’s unilateral action on immigration:“The American people want both parties to focus on solving problems together; they don’t support unilateral action from a president who is more interested in partisan politics than working with the people’s elected representatives. That is not how American democracy works. Not long ago, President Obama said the unilateral action he just announced was ‘not an option’ and claimed he’d already ‘done everything that I can on my own.’ He said it would lead to a ‘surge in more illegal immigration.’ He said he was ‘not a king’ and ‘not the emperor’ and that he was ‘bound by the Constitution.’ He said an action like this would exceed his authority and be ‘difficult to justify legally.’ He may have changed his position, but that doesn’t change the Constitution.
“By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left. His ‘my way or the highway’ approach makes it harder to build the trust with the American people that is necessary to get things done on behalf of the country. Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people. We will listen to them, work with our members, and protect the Constitution.” As has been repeatedly pointed out, before President Obama's alleged current position and his statement tonight, he had changed his position at least 22 times. Mr. Obama had stated that he could not make his own law without Congress, ignore current laws, or expand his 2012 executive action. He said doing so “would be both unwise and unfair” and “could lead to a surge in more illegal immigration.” According to several surveys, a majority of Americans oppose his unilateral action. The administration has also gone to great lengths to hide the truth about its immigration policies from the American people.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the floor this morning about President Obama’s pending announcement of his executive action on immigration.
He began by noting the president’s own repeated explanations why the sort of action he’s planning is beyond the scope of his powers. “Americans accept that democracy’s blessings are only made possible by the constraints it imposes — both its legal contours and those imposed by popular election. We accept democracy’s messiness. We accept that we may not always get all of what we want exactly when we want it. And based on more of what the President said in Miami [in a speech 3 years ago], this is something he seemed to understand too.
“He was talking about immigration that day, and here’s something else he said on the topic. ‘I know [that] some… wish that I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself. But that’s not how democracy works.’ Indeed, it isn’t. All of which makes the President’s planned executive action on immigration even more jarring.
“If the President truly follows through on this attempt to impose his will unilaterally, he will have issued a rebuke to his own stated view of democracy. And he will have contradicted his past statements on this very issue. . . .
“As just one example, President Obama said last year that executive action was ‘not an option’ because ‘[he] would be ignoring the law.’ ‘There is a path to get this done,’ he said, ‘and that is through Congress.’
“He’s right. The action he’s proposed would ignore the law, would reject the voice of the voters, and would impose new unfairness on law-abiding immigrants — all without solving the problem. In fact, his action is more likely to make it even worse.”
Leader McConnell then rebuked the president for the thin reasoning he’s given for his actions. “Just as the ‘Affordable Care Act’ had little to do with making health care more affordable, slapping the term ‘immigration reform’ on something doesn’t mean it’s actually immigration reform. And just as with Obamacare, the action the President is proposing isn’t about solutions. It isn’t about compassion.
“It seems to be about what a political party thinks would make for good politics. It seems to be about what a President thinks would be good for his legacy.
<“Those are not the motivations that should be driving such sweeping action. And I think the President will come to regret the chapter history writes if he does move forward.
“Because the plan he’s presenting is more than just, as the President himself has acknowledged, an overreach — it’s also unfair.
“What does the President have to say to the countless aspiring immigrants who’ve spent years waiting patiently in line? To the people who’ve played by all the rules? Where is his compassion for them?
“What does the President have to say to the millions of Americans who still can’t find work in this economy? The President can’t reach across the aisle to secure a serious jobs plan for them, but he’s willing to put everything he’s got into this one executive action? Where is the justice in that?”
Even the broadcast networks recognize the nature of the president’s plan. According to Politico’s Playbook today, “Broadcast nets won’t carry the address. A network insider tells Playbook: ‘There was agreement among the broadcast networks that this was overtly political. The White House has tried to make a comparison to a time that all the networks carried President Bush in prime time, also related to immigration [2006]. But that was a bipartisan announcement, and this is an overtly political move by the White House.’”
In his speech this morning, Leader McConnell reminded the president of the recent election, which seems to have slipped the minds of many in the White House. “Some people seem to have forgotten this already, but we just had an election. Before that election, the President told us about his plan to act unilaterally on immigration.
“He reminded us that his policies were on the ballot. And then the people spoke. The President doesn’t have to like the result, but he has a duty to respect it.
“The American people sent a message. They said they want to see us working together. They said they want to see more serious ideas pass through Congress. What they didn’t say they wanted to see was the President sidestepping the very representatives they just elected.”
Indeed, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll bears this out. Yesterday, NBC News reported, “Nearly half of Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama’s expected plan to take executive action that would potentially allow millions of undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the United States, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Forty-eight percent oppose Obama taking executive action on immigration -- which could come as soon as later this week -- while 38 percent support it; another 14 percent have no opinion or are unsure.”
And today, The Wall Street Journal writes, “By a clear 56% to 33% margin, those surveyed don’t want Mr. Obama to take the lead role in setting policy, preferring that Congress take the lead role. Mr. Obama’s approval rating remains low, though at 44% his number has rebounded by four percentage points since its nadir in August and September. . . . The WSJ/NBC poll found Americans are pleased that the Republican victories in this month’s midterm elections were broadly viewed as a rebuke to the president – 53% said they feel positive about the idea that ‘fewer people were elected who support President Obama’s legislative agenda.’ Only 41% said they feel badly about candidates who back Mr. Obama’s agenda losing.”
Concluding, Leader McConnell emphasized that the president “needs to understand something. If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act. We’re considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act.
“Look: As the President has said, democracy is hard. Imposing his will unilaterally may seem tempting. It may serve him politically in the short term. But he knows that it will make an already-broken system even more broken. And he knows that this is not how democracy is supposed to work. Because he told us so himself.”
Tags: President Obama, executive action, immigration To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. At 2 PM, the Senate will vote on confirmation of the nominations of Pamela Pepper to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Brenda Sannes to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York, Madeline Cox Arleo to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, Wendy Beetlestone to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Victor Allen Bolden to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.
Following those votes, a series of voice votes will be held on ambassador nominees to Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Jamaica, Albania, and Slovenia. Also scheduled for voice votes are nominees for the U.S. Tax Court.
More votes on nominations are possible today.
Yesterday, the Senate voted to invoke cloture on the Pepper, Sannes, Arleo, Beetlestone, and Bolden nominations. Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed by voice vote nominees to be ambassadors to Bosnia, Turkmenistan, Botswana, Fiji, and Madagascar, and the nomination of Michele Jeanne Sison to be deputy representative of the U.S. to the UN, the UN General Assembly, and the UN Security Council.
The House reconvened at 9 AM today. Today the House will consider H.R. 4795 — "To promote new manufacturing in the United States by providing for greater transparency and timeliness in obtaining necessary permits, and for other purposes." The House is expected to recess shortly after Noon.
Yesterday the House passed:
H.R. 3398 (Voice Vote) — "To authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries, and for other purposes."
H.R. 3583 (Voice Vote) — "To expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program."
H.R. 4012 (237-190) — "To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible."
H.R. 5681 (Voice Vote) — "To provide for the approval of the Amendment to the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes."
H.R. 5728 (Voice Vote) — "To amend the Communications Act of 1934 and title 17, United States Code, to extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for other purposes."
H.R. 5448 — "To amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."
Today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) released a statement regarding President Obama’s unilateral action on immigration:
“By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left. His ‘my way or the highway’ approach makes it harder to build the trust with the American people that is necessary to get things done on behalf of the country. Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people. We will listen to them, work with our members, and protect the Constitution.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the floor this morning about President Obama’s pending announcement of his executive action on immigration.
He began by noting the president’s own repeated explanations why the sort of action he’s planning is beyond the scope of his powers. “Americans accept that democracy’s blessings are only made possible by the constraints it imposes — both its legal contours and those imposed by popular election. We accept democracy’s messiness. We accept that we may not always get all of what we want exactly when we want it. And based on more of what the President said in Miami [in a speech 3 years ago], this is something he seemed to understand too.
“He was talking about immigration that day, and here’s something else he said on the topic. ‘I know [that] some… wish that I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself. But that’s not how democracy works.’ Indeed, it isn’t. All of which makes the President’s planned executive action on immigration even more jarring.
“If the President truly follows through on this attempt to impose his will unilaterally, he will have issued a rebuke to his own stated view of democracy. And he will have contradicted his past statements on this very issue. . . .
“As just one example, President Obama said last year that executive action was ‘not an option’ because ‘[he] would be ignoring the law.’ ‘There is a path to get this done,’ he said, ‘and that is through Congress.’
“He’s right. The action he’s proposed would ignore the law, would reject the voice of the voters, and would impose new unfairness on law-abiding immigrants — all without solving the problem. In fact, his action is more likely to make it even worse.”
Leader McConnell then rebuked the president for the thin reasoning he’s given for his actions. “Just as the ‘Affordable Care Act’ had little to do with making health care more affordable, slapping the term ‘immigration reform’ on something doesn’t mean it’s actually immigration reform. And just as with Obamacare, the action the President is proposing isn’t about solutions. It isn’t about compassion.
“It seems to be about what a political party thinks would make for good politics. It seems to be about what a President thinks would be good for his legacy.
<“Those are not the motivations that should be driving such sweeping action. And I think the President will come to regret the chapter history writes if he does move forward.
“Because the plan he’s presenting is more than just, as the President himself has acknowledged, an overreach — it’s also unfair.
“What does the President have to say to the countless aspiring immigrants who’ve spent years waiting patiently in line? To the people who’ve played by all the rules? Where is his compassion for them?
“What does the President have to say to the millions of Americans who still can’t find work in this economy? The President can’t reach across the aisle to secure a serious jobs plan for them, but he’s willing to put everything he’s got into this one executive action? Where is the justice in that?”
Even the broadcast networks recognize the nature of the president’s plan. According to Politico’s Playbook today, “Broadcast nets won’t carry the address. A network insider tells Playbook: ‘There was agreement among the broadcast networks that this was overtly political. The White House has tried to make a comparison to a time that all the networks carried President Bush in prime time, also related to immigration [2006]. But that was a bipartisan announcement, and this is an overtly political move by the White House.’”
In his speech this morning, Leader McConnell reminded the president of the recent election, which seems to have slipped the minds of many in the White House. “Some people seem to have forgotten this already, but we just had an election. Before that election, the President told us about his plan to act unilaterally on immigration.
“He reminded us that his policies were on the ballot. And then the people spoke. The President doesn’t have to like the result, but he has a duty to respect it.
“The American people sent a message. They said they want to see us working together. They said they want to see more serious ideas pass through Congress. What they didn’t say they wanted to see was the President sidestepping the very representatives they just elected.”
Indeed, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll bears this out. Yesterday, NBC News reported, “Nearly half of Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama’s expected plan to take executive action that would potentially allow millions of undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the United States, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Forty-eight percent oppose Obama taking executive action on immigration -- which could come as soon as later this week -- while 38 percent support it; another 14 percent have no opinion or are unsure.”
And today, The Wall Street Journal writes, “By a clear 56% to 33% margin, those surveyed don’t want Mr. Obama to take the lead role in setting policy, preferring that Congress take the lead role. Mr. Obama’s approval rating remains low, though at 44% his number has rebounded by four percentage points since its nadir in August and September. . . . The WSJ/NBC poll found Americans are pleased that the Republican victories in this month’s midterm elections were broadly viewed as a rebuke to the president – 53% said they feel positive about the idea that ‘fewer people were elected who support President Obama’s legislative agenda.’ Only 41% said they feel badly about candidates who back Mr. Obama’s agenda losing.”
Concluding, Leader McConnell emphasized that the president “needs to understand something. If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act. We’re considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act.
“Look: As the President has said, democracy is hard. Imposing his will unilaterally may seem tempting. It may serve him politically in the short term. But he knows that it will make an already-broken system even more broken. And he knows that this is not how democracy is supposed to work. Because he told us so himself.”
Tags: President Obama, executive action, immigration To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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