FAIR Responds to Sen. Schumer's Assertion that "The President Will Have No Choice But To Act On His Own" Unless the House Approves Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

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May 22, 2014, 06:42 ET

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), responding to Senator Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) assertion that if the House does not pass an illegal alien amnesty bill before the August recess, that President Obama will have "no choice but to act on his own" to implement one.

"Senator Schumer's threat, on behalf of the president, amounts to little more than an extortion note to House Republicans: Pass the legislation we demand or the president will, once again, ignore the Constitution and act without authority from Congress.

"Under our Constitution, the Legislative Branch of government makes our laws. The failure or refusal of Congress to enact laws to the president's liking does not entitle the Executive Branch to act unilaterally to negate laws that have already been enacted, or to implement laws without approval from Congress. President Obama has repeatedly abused his executive authority in the area of immigration policy, and it is time that Congress sends a clear message that further administrative overreach will not be tolerated.

"Even Americans who share the president's and Sen. Schumer's views on immigration policy should be alarmed at this flagrant threat to make an end run around the constitutional Separation of Powers doctrine. It is all the more egregious that a senior member of the United States Senate would so brazenly encourage and condone such a usurpation of Congress's plenary authority over immigration law.

"The House has a clear constitutional right to reject legislation approved by the Senate that would grant amnesty to millions of lawbreakers, dramatically increase the number of new foreign workers eligible to compete for jobs in the U.S., while offering law-abiding Americans nothing more than the same tired promises of future enforcement.

"We encourage the House leadership to stand its moral and constitutional ground and reject Sen. Schumer's threat."

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SOURCE FAIR