In First Telephone Town Hall, U.S. Rep. Ratcliffe Introduces Bill to Stop President's Executive Amnesty

Press Release

U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Heath) in his first telephone town hall announced he has introduced one of his first pieces of legislation in Congress -- the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act, H.R. 1715. In November, President Obama took executive action to grant amnesty to up to 5 million illegal immigrants. He did so by circumventing Congress, despite over 20 public statements where he previously described such actions as unconstitutional. The president, through various memorandums and executive action has refused to enforce the law as it currently stands. U.S. Rep. Ratcliffe has introduced legislation to combat this executive action and publically announced this new bill at his first telephone town hall, held this past week.

"The president severely overstepped his constitutional authority when he attempted to legislate from the Oval Office," said Ratcliffe. "Members of Congress have a duty to uphold the Constitution and work within the confines of the law. We are a nation of laws, and if a law must be changed, we have a constitutionally bound legislative process that's been in place for over 200 years to do just that. "

"The president's actions circumvent the laws as they are written," added Ratcliffe. "My legislation prohibits the president's distortion of current law and nullifies his use of executive memorandums that provide amnesty to illegal aliens, forcing him to execute the law as it was written. I was pleased to announce the introduction of this bill directly to my constituents on my first telephone town hall."

When enacted, U.S. Rep. Ratcliffe's legislation would prohibit the use of funds to carry out any of the president's executive action that provides amnesty to illegal aliens. In addition to prohibiting the use of funds to carry out President Obama's orders to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, the bill clarifies that illegal immigrants who have been granted amnesty cannot be authorized to work in the United States.

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