e-News 1/16/15

• “The Congress shall have Power…To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization…”
• Bolstering Border Security
• Iran Eclipses US in Iraq
• Libya: “Headed Toward Chaos”
• Business To DC: Get Off our Backs and Out of Our Way!
• Salute: Thank you Jerry Gordon and the West Essex First Aid Squad

“The Congress shall have Power…To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization…”

Those are the exact words the Founders composed as they drafted the United States Constitution, giving the Congress, and the Congress alone, the authority for drafting America’s immigration laws.

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, passed this week in the House, includes important provisions that stop the President’s unilateral executive actions on immigration announced last November.  In seeking to legislate from the Oval Office, President Obama seriously overstepped his Constitutionally-enumerated powers.

Specifically, the bill eliminates all funds -- anywhere in the budget -- for implementation of the President's actions.  The language covers executive orders, memos, prosecutorial discretion, and future actions the President may make that are not authorized by Congress.  Further, the language of the bill ensures no federal benefits can go to those covered by the President's executive amnesty.

In the months ahead, there will be opportunities for this Congress to debate broader border security and immigration measures.  But we must act now to stand against the President’s unconstitutional executive amnesty to preserve the roles delegated to each branch of government by our Founders!

Bolstering Border Security

The House-passed Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill is a must-pass bill that provides additional resources to protect Americans here at home.

The legislation provides for the largest operational force levels in the history of the Customs and Border Protection agency and supports several critical border security initiatives, including around-the-clock surveillance of air, land, and sea approaches to the United States. The bill includes significant increases - above the President’s budget request - for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention programs. The bill also includes increased funding to expand visa vetting capabilities, and enhance our efforts to combat human trafficking, child exploitation, cyber-crime, and drug smuggling.

No one should be mistaken - what happened in Paris last week can happen anywhere, including here in America.  While we work to defeat extremist terrorists across the world, this bill provides the resources necessary to protect us here at home.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post has weighed in on the fight against extremism: “The attacks in Paris should motivate Mr. Obama to reinvigorate a war against al-Qaeda that appears to be dangerously stalled.”

Read the editorial “The U.S. fight against jihadism has lost its momentum” here.

Iran Eclipses US in Iraq

The Associated Press this week produced a well written, investigative story that illustrates the national security consequences when American domestic politics trumps our military's recommendations that a residual force be kept in Iraq to protect many of the gains fought for by U.S. and international troops during the liberation of Iraq.  Read the AP storyhere.

Libya: “Headed Toward Chaos”

“Libya is headed toward chaos as the United States and NATO allies look the other way.” Read the Washington Post editorial “Headed Toward Chaos” here.

Business To DC: Get Off our Backs and Out of Our Way!

As I travel around my congressional district, one of the constant refrains from the business community is “get the government off our backs and out of our way.”  This theme is echoed by managers of both the large and small businesses.

This week, the House passed two bills, pieces of a larger strategy that will bring greater jobs and more opportunity to the American people and their families.

The Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Actincludes the language of pro-growth measures that represent bipartisan efforts to remove the burdensome weight of one-size-fits-all regulation that has, sadly, become the norm for Washington. While often well-intentioned, many of these “top-down” regulations hurt small businesses and emerging businesses in critical sectors like biotechnology. Read more here.

The House also passed the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015, designed to “modernize” the federal rulemaking process which, in many instances, places unnecessary burdens on employers.  The bill:  

• Addresses root problems with our regulatory system.  We know Washington imposes too many regulations and that they cost too much money. 
• Makes Washington regulate at the lowest cost possible. The Regulatory Accountability Act requires bureaucrats to institute regulations based on sound data and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.
• Helps families. Reining in regulatory costs is important because these costs are often passed directly on to families.  For example, regulations already on the books will increase the cost of household products – including fluorescent lamps, microwaves, air conditioners, and dishwashers – by up to $1,600. 

Learn more about the Regulatory Accountability Act here.

Salute: A heartfelt thank you to Jerry Gordon, an active member of the West Essex First Aid Squad for 50 years!  Having served the squad as Captain, President and member of the Board of Trustees since 1964, Jerry has personally responded to over 13,000 calls for assistance.  We all owe Jerry, and all first responders, a tremendous debt of gratitude!