FAIR Congratulates the House for Defunding the President's Unconstitutional Amnesty Programs

Senate should follow suit and mirror House's actions

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Jan 14, 2015, 03:57 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to passage of legislation by the House of Representatives that would defund President Obama's illegal alien amnesty programs:

"FAIR congratulates the House of Representatives for taking the important step of prohibiting the use of federal funds or fees to implement President Obama's new executive amnesty, and to prevent the expansion of his earlier DACA amnesty. This legislation not only protects the interests of American workers and taxpayers, but also reaffirms Congress's plenary authority, under our Constitution, to set our nation's immigration policies.

"The defunding effort now heads to the Senate, where Senators will have to choose which is more important: funding the Department of Homeland Security or protecting illegal aliens.

"Democrats who support the executive amnesty are arguing that Congress should pass a 'clean' funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. But Americans should not be fooled. After President Obama used his 'pen and phone' to unilaterally re-write U.S. immigration law, there is no such thing as a clean Homeland Security funding bill. Congress will either fund President Obama's executive amnesty or it won't. Senators will now have to make a choice.

"If the Senate Democratic leadership and President Obama insist on closing down Homeland Security over implementation of an unconstitutional amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, it is they who will have to answer to the American people. We urge responsible Senate Democrats, many of whom are on record opposing unilateral action by the president, to now back up their words and demonstrate bipartisan support for defunding the president's unconstitutional policies.

"The House has acted to ensure that DHS has the resources it needs to carry out its vital functions for the rest of the fiscal year. It is now up to the Senate Democratic leadership and President Obama to decide whether the security of the nation is more important than implementing a politically driven amnesty program that was never authorized by Congress."

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

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