Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) has introduced H.R.191, the Repeal Executive Amnesty Act of 2015, that addresses most of the executive actions taken by the Obama Administration over the last several years. The bill goes beyond simply defunding the President's actions to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens, but also reverses a number of executive actions taken by the Administration over the last several years, including reinstating the Secure Communities program, ending excessive extensions to Temporary Protected Status, and limiting abuses of the asylum system.
Rep. Aderholt sits on the House Appropriations Committee, which is currently drafting legislation that will fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the 2015 fiscal year. In December, Congress passed legislation that funded the government through FY2015, but only approved funding for DHS for a few months, so that Republicans could attempt to repeal Pres. Obama's executive actions when they had control of both chambers of Congress. The goal is to include Rep. Aderholt's bill in the upcoming DHS Appropriations bill. Reports indicate that Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) hopes to have the bill through the Committee before the end of this week, so the House can vote on it before it breaks for a short recess next Wednesday afternoon.
Rep. Aderholt's bill, the Repeal Executive Amnesty Act of 2015, would:
- Prohibit the President's use of granting parole to illegal aliens
- Prohibit the Administration from granting work permits to all illegal aliens
- Defund all executive actions on immigration, including all memos issued by the Department of Homeland Security
- Close the loophole that played a large role in last summer's border surge by treating illegal aliens from non-contiguous countries the same as contiguous countries, making them easier to remove
- Prohibit illegal aliens from accessing Social Security, medicare, and benefits from the Affordable Care Act
- Reinstate the Secure Communities program
- Restrict federal funding to municipalities that provide sanctuary to illegal aliens
- Prohibit the government from providing legal council to illegal aliens in removal proceedings
- Restrict the Administration's ability to grant and extend Temporary Protected Status to illegal aliens
The bill was introduced with 8 original cosponsors, including Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), Lamar Smith (R-Texas), John Culberson (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.), and Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.).
