Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 240, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman for
yielding.

Madam Speaker, just for people who are watching this debate, I would
like to take us back to December of 2014 when we passed this thing
called the CR/Omnibus, all these spending bills together that we spent
money for the American people over the course of a year to fund our
government, except for the Department of Homeland Security bill, which
would be funded right through midnight tonight.

Why did we single this one bill out for this short term? For one
reason and one reason only: The Republican majority wanted to pick a
fight with the President over the President's execution of his lawful
authority to try to solve problems in the area of immigration.

Now, a Federal district court judge, who has a long history of
Republican partisanship, decided that he would issue an order stopping
the execution of this executive order action; so, now, why don't we let
the district court handle it, pass a year-long bill, and look after the
public safety of the American people?

This thing is where it should be. It is with the courts. People on
the Republican side of the aisle, Madam Speaker, who say that this is
unconstitutional--which it is not--now have the ball in the court they
say they want it in, which is in the court's hands, so let us get about
the business of protecting the homeland.

Madam Speaker, I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I am proud of
that, but I have got a terrorist group in Somalia talking about what
they want to do to my mall. That is a fact of my district right now,
and I feel very bitter and resentful that we are holding up Homeland
Security money.

I ask this body to not kick the ball for 3 weeks, but to get to
business now, so that we can plan and protect our homeland.

This is serious business, not a political football to acquire power.

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