Authorization to Initiate Litigation for Actions By the President

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in strong opposition to this resolution that would propose to have the House sue the President of the United States.

With only a few hours left before Congress adjourns for the August district work period, we have a full plate of responsibilities left unfinished. When I go back home to my district, I highly doubt that many constituents will be running up to me to thank me for Congress passing a resolution to sue the President of the United States.

I know what I will hear instead: Why hasn't the House passed comprehensive immigration reform to fix our broken immigration system? Why hasn't Congress raised the minimum wage so people who work full time don't remain in poverty? Why haven't we renewed emergency unemployment insurance for more than 3 1/2 million Americans, including nearly 300,000 veterans?

The only answer I will be able to give them is that Republican leadership in the House cares more about scoring political points against this President than they do about helping America's middle class families.

This is a question of priorities. The American people sent us here to respond to the pressing needs that face our Nation. It should be a given that we would use our time to focus on the most important issues. Instead, we waste time on suing the President of the United States while failing to address commonsense measures to ensure economic security for every American.

Not only does this resolution reflect a very different set of priorities from the majority of Americans, we are yet again wasting millions in taxpayer dollars, just like the $3 million wasted in defending the indefensible and unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act and billions of dollars wasted by shutting down the government to try to take away Americans' health care benefits.

It is unconscionable that when this do-nothing Republican Congress finally decided to do something, it is suing the President for doing his job when they refuse to do theirs. I wish I could say that this was politics at its worst, but I have heard too many in the Republican majority raise the specter of impeachment not to know better.

Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to this time- and taxpayer money-wasting resolution and urge Republicans in the majority to join Democrats and address the serious challenges facing our Nation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source