In an op-ed for Politico Magazine, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) called on Republicans to fight Pres. Obama's executive amnesty and to "protect its own people". The President's executive amnesty would grant work permits to an estimated 5-6 million people, but Congress can use its power of the purse to defund the executive amnesty. The federal government is currently funded through mid-December, but lawmakers are working on a long-term spending bill that would fund the government through September 2015.
Here are a few excerpts from Sen. Sessions' op-ed:
Karl Rove, who himself has advocated for amnesty, urged Congress to use its spending power to block the President’s fiat. He said Republicans should “use every tool available,” and put “riders on appropriations bills that say no money shall be spent to execute this policy.”
Yet reports have surfaced of plans to pass a long-term lame-duck spending bill through Harry Reid’s Senate that contains no such prohibition. This would be unthinkable.
Why would any member of Congress who opposes executive amnesty provide President Obama the funds to carry it out? A Republican majority must force congressional Democrats to answer this question through their votes.We cannot surrender Congress’ most powerful Constitutional tool before a single newly elected Republican is sworn-in. Acting in this manner would betray the very voters who gave us this majority before we’re even in possession of it...
In a battle between Congress and the President—over whether to save our citizens’ jobs, laws, and borders, or whether to eliminate them—there is no doubt the public will be firmly on our side.
We cannot yield to open borders. We cannot let one executive edict erase the immigration laws of an entire nation. If we believe America is a sovereign country, with enforceable boundaries, and a duty to protect its own people, then we have no choice but to fight and to win.
You can read Sen. Sessions' full op-ed on Politico's website.
