Yoho Immigration Bill To Prevent Executive Amnesty Passes House

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ted S. Yoho’s successful effort to restore Article I legislative powers to Congress and help stop President Obama’s executive order - granting amnesty to roughly 5 million illegal aliens- was realized today.  The Congressman’s bill, the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act (H.R. 5759), passed in the House by a bipartisan vote of 219-197.

H.R. 5759 was introduced on Nov 20, 2014 and clarifies that the Executive Branch does not have the authority to exempt categories of persons unlawfully present in the U.S. from removal.

It also makes clear that any executive action seeking to exempt these categories of persons is a violation of the law and thus has no legal effect. This legislation is a long term solution that will apply to executive actions that attempt to circumvent immigration law. Congressman Yoho released the following statement:

“I introduced this legislation to stop the president’s executive amnesty. I could not stand idly by as the president trampled our constitution, our laws, and our sovereignty. I am glad that 219 of my colleagues joined me.

“I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte, Leadership, and the Members of this body for helping bring my bill to the floor. This is about the Administration overstepping its bounds and unilaterally changing the laws of this country.

“Our Founding Fathers established this separation of powers to prevent an overreaching executive. If we continue to surrender our legislative powers to the Executive Branch then we could easily be standing here in five or ten years discussing a Republican president who refuses to enforce the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act or any other law he chooses.

“Just because one might agree with the outcome does not justify overlooking or violating the process to get to that outcome.

“Congress has the constitutional powers to create and write laws. The President has a duty to faithfully execute those laws, not pick and choose parts he likes or doesn’t like.

“I’m pleased that this legislation passed the House of Representatives on a bi-partisan basis and ask that Senator Reid take this legislation up, or explain to the American people why he is allowing this president’s unconstitutionality to continue.”

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Congressman Ted Yoho serves on the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. He represents North Florida’s 3rd Congressional District