WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) regarding the election of Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House of Representatives:
"Speaker Paul Ryan assumes the position of Speaker of the House at a critical moment in our nation's history and a time when Americans are increasingly disillusioned with Washington's ability to serve the public interest.
"Immigration policy is one of the foremost issues that the American people want addressed by their leaders. Given the importance of this issue in the 2016 presidential campaign it is clear that the American public is dissatisfied with President Obama's evisceration of meaningful immigration enforcement and his unconstitutional assertion of executive power to unilaterally change immigration policies.
"It is equally clear that the American people have been dissatisfied with the leadership of out-going Speaker Boehner, the Republican congressional leadership, and excessive influence of the exerted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on our immigration policies. In addressing immigration policy, Paul Ryan has an opportunity to fulfill his pledge to 'wipe the slate clean' by asserting the centrality of the American people in immigration policy and Congress's plenary authority under our Constitution to make those policies.
"The failure to defend the public interest on immigration was one of the issues that resulted in Speaker Boehner losing the confidence of the public and his caucus. The public is demanding a new direction on immigration policy – one that recognizes and protects their economic and security interests. It would be a mistake for the new speaker to follow the path of his predecessor, under whom the interests of business lobbyists and immigration lawbreakers took precedence over those of the American people. Similarly, it would be a mistake to allow the Obama administration to continue chipping away at the integrity of our immigration policies, not to mention our constitutional form of government.
"FAIR looks forward to working with Speaker Ryan and his leadership team to advance true immigration reform legislation that protects American workers, taxpayers, national security, and which reins in the Obama administration's abuse of executive power. There is much that can be accomplished in the remaining 14 months of the 114th Congress and we hope that Speaker Ryan will provide the leadership necessary to advance immigration reform measures that serve the public good."
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130103/MM36576LOGO
SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
Share this article