President Obama’s executive amnesty voids the laws Congress has passed in order to foist on the nation measures Congress has refused to pass. In violation of U.S. law, it grants illegal immigrants work permits, Social Security, and Medicare—taking jobs and benefits directly from struggling Americans. The President has arrogated to himself the sole and absolute power to decide who can enter, live, work, and claim benefits in the United States.
Before the election, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus made a promise: “We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen… We can’t allow it to happen and we won’t let it happen. I don’t know how to be any stronger than that. I’m telling you, everything we can do to stop it we will.”
Legislation introduced by Congressman Aderholt would fulfill that pledge and accomplish that goal. It would block funds for the President’s illegal scheme; surely, Congress should not fund an illegal act that eliminates our constitutional role as a lawmaking body.
Further, the Aderholt bill would take steps to address one of the most serious problems now unfolding: the mass release of illegal immigrants who show up at the border into the interior of the country. Approximately 99% of the Central American youth and adult relatives who showed up unlawfully this year presently remain in the United States. No ‘border security’ plan can succeed that does not begin to end the destructive practice of catch-and-release. Simply providing the President with more money for “border security” will be turned into a slush fund to resettle illegal immigrants in the interior of the United States.
Republicans should focus on these and other discrete enforcement measures—like mandatory E-Verify and closing tax credit loopholes—that will encourage repatriation and protect jobs and benefits for Americans, while launching a sustained and unrelenting campaign to block all funds for the President’s border-erasing executive amnesty. The question will then be left on the desk of congressional Democrats: will you protect the President’s order, or the people who elected you?
RELATED: Alabama’s Aderholt delivers bill defunding Obama’s immigration actions
Jeff Sessions represents Alabama in the United States Senate
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