Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding and for his leadership on immigration issues.

I especially want to thank my colleague and friend from Florida, Congressman Yoho, for bringing forward this important piece of legislation, which just goes back and reestablishes the rule of law, Mr. Speaker. You have got a President who has consistently gone out, time and time again, and shown disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law of this Nation.

We just had an election in November. The President, himself, said this was going to be a referendum on his agenda, and the American people were crystal clear about their dislike of this failed agenda from this President. They have told him: Get back to work. Go work with Congress to solve problems.

What is the first response? The President has to poke his finger in the eye of the American people, people who spoke loud and clear to him, in saying that he is going to disregard what they said; and he is going to ignore the rule of law and, in fact, ignore what our constitutional framework of checks and balances is. He thinks he can just sit in the Oval Office and write his own laws, and then he comes forward with this proposal to literally disregard enforcement of our Nation's immigration laws.

This isn't going to stand, Mr. Speaker. This legislation says: You can't do that, Mr. President. There is a rule of law. You need to start enforcing that law.

We came together as a House just a few months ago and passed a border security bill. Let's actually get back to the rule of law and protecting our Nation's borders. It is not just an immigration issue; it is a national security issue.

So what is the President's response to this legislation? He threatens a veto. Again, the President thinks he can just sit in the Oval Office and make up his own laws.

That is not the way our system of government works, Mr. Speaker. So we bring this legislation forward today to get us back to that rule of law and to remind the President that it is time for him to heed the message that millions of Americans across the country sent just a few weeks ago in saying: You need to start working with Congress to solve real problems.

In fact, this weekend, in my home State of Louisiana, there are three more elections on that ballot. Pay close attention, Mr. President. Pay close attention to yet another referendum on your agenda that is going to occur this Saturday with a Senate election and two more House races. The American people want you to get out of the cocoon of the Oval Office and start working with Congress to solve real problems.

We have passed legislation to solve those problems. You can try to ignore them, issue veto threats, but it is time for to you roll up your sleeves and get to work with us and solve those problems together. Pull back your executive action. This legislation ensures that happens.

I urge approval.

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