The Hill Report: Week of June 28 - August 1, 2014

Statement

The Border Crisis

Our nation is currently facing an unprecedented border crisis. Yesterday the House acted to address the urgent needs of our law enforcement personnel to strengthen our border security, enforce our law, and help stem the tide of illegal immigration in the future.

Congressman Sessions managing the rule on the House Floor for the two border security bills

The two bills that the House passed on Friday would ensure that we provide the resources necessary to put an end to this crisis while changing the policies that are leading more and more people to come into our country illegally. Specifically, the legislation would provide $659 million for border security, the enforcement of existing laws, illegal immigration prevention, and humanitarian assistance. Another $70 million would be available to bolster National Guard resources at the US-Mexico border. The money for these funds would be cut from other programs in the federal government, meaning that this plan does not add a dollar to the deficit. Additionally, the legislation would make important changes to a 2008 trafficking law and would halt the President's DACA policy.

My House Resolution to Authorize a Lawsuit Against the President
At the beginning of this Congress, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. This week the House of Representatives took an important step in fulfilling our oath when we passed the House Resolution that I authored to authorize a lawsuit against President Obama for failing to faithfully execute the law.

his lawsuit seeks to ensure that Congress is able to continue to play its role in writing the laws that govern our nation. Unfortunately, the President has ignored the Congress and changed the law without following the constitutional process. That is why the President's system of unilateral governance must be stopped. I am very pleased that the House of Representatives has taken action to defend the Constitution to ensure that the laws on which our nation was founded are protected.

ABLE Act Update
On Thursday the House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) where it passed with a bipartisan vote. This is a critical step forward for this important legislation that will help families with children with disabilities save for their long-term care. Ensuring a sound financial future for our loved ones with disabilities is of the utmost importance and I strongly believe that we should allow them to have the same tax-free savings accounts as others in order to plan for their future.

I am delighted that the ABLE Act has gained the momentum and attention that it deserves. My colleagues in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate have worked fervently for the past eight years to pass this legislation that will achieve our common goal of providing individuals with disabilities a better way to plan and save for their future.

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