DHS Funding and the President's Executive Actions

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House voted with bipartisan support to pass H.R. 240, legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September 30, 2015.

It is our constitutional duty to ensure that our country remains safe, and playing politics with Homeland Security funding, when the world is as dangerous as it is today, is simply unacceptable. Make no doubt about it, it is critically important to stop the President's actions on immigration. But at a time like this, it would be gravely irresponsible to allow the Department of Homeland Security to shut down, or even to have the appearance of that.

When the executive and legislative branches of our government are in disagreement, the judicial branch must play referee, and that is exactly what took place when a Federal judge sided with a complaint filed by 26 States in opposition to the President's move toward amnesty.

Now that our Federal courts have halted President Obama's executive actions, further rulings will closely examine how the President has overreached his constitutional authorities.

Mr. Speaker, considering all of the facts, voting ``yes'' on Homeland Security funding yesterday was the right decision. However, this does not compromise my position of standing strong against the President's executive actions.

Source