Rep. Salmon Calls on Appropriators to Block Illegal Executive Actions on Immigration

Washington, D.C.— Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) today sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers and Ranking Member Nita Lowey asking them to prohibit funding President Obama’s intentions to unlawfully distribute work permits and green cards for illegal immigrants currently in the United States.

“The President has a duty to ensure the laws that Congress passes are faithfully executed.  Instead of doing his job, just yesterday the President articulated his intention to pursue a course of unilaterally granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.  He claims this will be for their benefit, but it is the most detrimental action he could take toward reform of our nation’s immigration laws. Even three Senators from the Gang of Eight, including Senator John McCain, agree that these actions by the President would kill any possibility of meaningful reform in the future.

“As such, 62 of my colleagues signed onto a letter that I sent to our appropriators, asking them to put an end to the President’s partisan games once and for all.  Our letter calls for plain language to be inserted into any spending bill passing this Congress that would clearly prohibit the use of appropriated funds for the President’s immigration machinations.

“Our Constitution makes clear that the President is not free to act as he sees fit without regard to our laws. It also includes language that gives Congress the power of the purse, a tool that has been used many times before to rein in out-of-control executive actions.

“If the President is intent on defying the will of Congress and the American people, then Congress must be willing use their constitutionally-mandated tools to stop him.

“It is my hope that the President will rethink this unwise strategy and choose instead to work with Congress in a bipartisan manner to address this important issue.”

Full text of the letter is included below and on Rep. Salmon’s website, here.

Dear Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey,

As the House continues to deliberate and draft appropriations legislation before the current continuing resolution expires on December 12, 2014, we write to encourage you to include language that would prohibit funding for the President’s reported intentions to create work permits and green cards for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States.

There are currently millions of undocumented immigrants living within our borders. Recently, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a procurement request for 34 million work permits and green cards over the next five years.  President Obama has spoken publicly and privately about his intentions to use executive action to create these work permits for those who are here illegally. This would be in direct violation of U.S. law. As you know, the Congress has the power of the purse and should use it as a tool to prevent the President from implementing policies that are contrary to our laws and the desire of the American people.

We respectfully request that as you work to finalize the year-end funding legislation that language be included in all relevant appropriations legislation for FY 2015 to prohibit the use of funds by the administration for the implementation of current or future executive actions that would create additional work permits and green cards outside of the scope prescribed by Congress. We thank you for your efforts with this legislation and for your consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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