Congressman Collins Votes to Send a Message to the Supreme Court that the Obama Administration Cannot Ignore the Law

March 17, 2016

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Republicans voted to authorize the Speaker of the House to file an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the House of Representatives in the Supreme Court case United States v. Texas. The brief will express the House’s position that the President has acted unilaterally to rewrite the country’s immigration laws. Congressman Collins issued the following statement after the vote:

“President Obama’s executive actions on immigration go far beyond his Article II powers in the Constitution, and ignore the powers vested to Congress by Article I to write the law. The President’s power grab shows a lack of respect for the Constitution and the Separation of Powers, and for the rule of law. President Obama’s unilateral attempts to grant an executive amnesty through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) programs have unsurprisingly garnered opposition from those who still respect the rule of law and believe our immigration laws should be enforced. Since the President announced he was expanding the program, more than 25 states—including Georgia—have filed lawsuits against the Administration in protest. States should not be forced to bear the weight of an administrative amnesty that adds additional burdens on state services and benefits, all on the taxpayers’ dime.”

“We must address the President’s overreach in every way possible. That’s why the first bill  introduced this Congress was the Immigration Accountability Act. The Immigration Accountability Act prohibits the use of funds to implement DACA and DAPA, and ensures fees collected from other immigration programs can’t be used to prop up executive amnesty.”

“The President’s executive actions undermine the rule of law and make a mockery of the Separation of Powers. Today’s resolution ensures that House Republicans—on behalf of their constituents—are heard at the Supreme Court and that the fight against this executive overreach continues on all fronts.”