Hensarling Statement on the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act (H.R. 5759):

“The president’s planned executive action on immigration is lawless, unconstitutional, and arrogant. Not only will the president’s plan create the underpinnings of a constitutional crisis, it potentially sets the stage for another immigration crisis like we saw this past summer.  By announcing this executive action, the president has done nothing more than double down on his existing failed policy and make our broken immigration system worse.

“I supported the action taken by the House today to explicitly prohibit the president from using executive action to exempt broad categories of illegal aliens from prosecution and deportation in contravention of our existing immigration laws, as well as clearly deny the president the authority to give those illegal aliens authorization to work in the United States.  This bill is a first step in addressing this overreaching power grab, and I am confident that it will  not be the last.  In addition to future actions I expect the House of Representatives to take on this issue, another step in the fight is the lawsuit filed yesterday by Texas – under the leadership of Governor-elect Greg Abbott – and 16 other states.

“The American people strongly oppose President Obama’s unconstitutional overreach, and leaders at the state and federal level are committed to fighting for them to uphold the Constitution and defend the rule of law.”

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