Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jason Smith voted in favor of H.R. 5759, the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act of 2014, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 219-197-3. The bill blocks the president from using executive orders to postpone deportation of illegal aliens. Congressman Jason Smith took to the House floor earlier today to speak about the president’s executive overreach.

The video of the congressman’s remarks is attached and may also be viewed on his YouTube Channel here.

Transcript:

“On March 28, 2011, President Obama said he would not use an executive order for amnesty explaining that – and again I quote – “temporary protective status, historically, has been used for special circumstances.” Those are his words. More than 20 times, the president said executive action on immigration would not be appropriate. Nothing has changed in our Constitution, but now the administration is now singing a different tune.

“Mr. Speaker, I’m from the Show-Me State. I would love for any of my colleagues in this body to show me in this document, the Constitution of the United States, where it grants the president the authority to change the laws.

“Article I of the Constitution says Congress will change the laws, not the president. The president will execute the laws – faithfully execute the laws. Mr. Speaker, I proudly support this legislation and I ask my colleagues to do so, to stop this action.

“I yield back.”

Congressman Smith also said, “President Obama said last week that he acted to “change the law” on immigration, granting amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. The president should not change the law. In fact, Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires the president to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

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