Providing for Consideration of H.R. 4138, Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law Act of 2014, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3973, Faithful Executive of the Law Act of 2014
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Speaker, this is very clear, the purpose of today's debate. The Take Care Clause is to faithfully execute laws that are passed. This is about standing statute. In fact, this is the centerpiece of the President's whole Presidency. He is choosing what will be enforced and what will not be enforced. The Take Care Clause, known as the ``Faithful Execution Clause,'' was actually derived from Pennsylvania's 1776 constitution, crafted by Pennsylvania's State executives during the Revolutionary War.
I want you to just let your mind drift back to when people left Europe to come to America. They got in rickety, old, wooden boats with not very good nav systems, but they came here for a reason. They set their course true north. They were coming to get away from a monarchy. They were coming to get away from an imperialist. They were coming to get away from tyrants. Why did they come here, and what did they craft? It is so carefully laid out in our Constitution. So why are we having this debate about this being silliness? This is who we are, not as Republicans and Democrats, but who we are as Americans. Why would we turn our backs on our Constitution?
I understand the Executive Office has great power. I also understand that the Constitution harnesses that. It does not allow it to run roughshod over the people.
Mr. Duncan very clearly talked about the State of the Union, when the President says to this body:
America cannot stand still, and neither will I. So whenever and whatever steps I can take with that legislation, that is what I am going to do.
That is chilling. People gave him a standing ovation--and not just a standing ovation, but from the House of Representatives, where that very power is being taken from. That is our responsibility. That is our duty.
You cannot take that pledge and then turn around and say, Well, this is just about some kind of political maneuvering. This is not about a political maneuvering. That is about the protection of our Constitution. These things have been enshrined for us.
It is critical that we look at this. The Executive cannot make exceptions and just enforce the law as he or she wants. That is not who we are as a people. We left monarchs and tyrants to come here.
This is a government by the people, for the people, and of the people. If we ever forget that is what our job is as Members of the House of Representatives, then what are we doing here?
I would just ask my colleagues on the other side to please take a look at this. This is very chilling. You may like where the President is taking us, I may not like where the President is taking us, but there is a process that we all must follow. This is statute that is being trampled upon by an Executive that has an overreach that we have never seen before.
Can we not please return to those days and why those folks came here. What were they seeking? Freedom and liberty. What have we allowed those people to do? Turn their back and turn away from it and turn away from a Constitution that over a million people have given their lives to make sure that we could have this today.
So, Mr. Speaker, I would hope that some sense of responsibility, and not politics, comes into this House.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source