WASHINGTON, D.C.– In light of the President's planned executive action on immigration, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) issued the following statement:

“This election the American people sent a clear message to Washington that they do not want repeats of failed past policies, they want President Obama to work with Congress to solve problems. The President’s unilateral action blatantly disregards this message and the separation of powers set forth by the Constitution. Even President Obama himself has admitted over 20 times that this executive action exceeds constitutional authority. Furthermore, as the White House has rightly pointed out, executive amnesty has been tried in the past and that it is even being discussed again is proof positive that it is a failed policy.  Repeating a past mistake will only make things worse and will destroy any progress Congress has made toward real immigration reform.  

“However, despite the president’s unilateral actions, Congress will continue working and utilizing the many tools in the Constitution to attempt to stop the President from acting alone. We will continue funding the government, but we will not let the President get away with this unconstitutional action.

“The President knows he is not authorized to take action and it is my hope he will execute our laws faithfully and have an honest forward-thinking debate about this important issue. It is time for the President to stop repeating past mistakes, listen to the American people, and join Congress in solving problems.”

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