Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I would like to speak for a few moments about a memorandum that was received in the offices of Senator Charles Grassley, pursuant to a request of the Department of Homeland Security, which has, unfortunately, raised a lot of questions about the administration's commitment to enforcing congressional law. It is undated, but the memorandum is 11 pages. It is on the stationery of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is a memorandum to Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the Director, from four individuals within the USCIS. The subject matter is described as ``Administrative Alternatives to Comprehensive Immigration Reform.'' After reading these 11 pages, I have to ask the question whether this administration, frustrated by the fact that Congress has not acted to pass comprehensive immigration reform, is now considering an end-around the Congress by administrative action through reinterpretations, definitions, rules, and regulations, changing guidelines and the like--in other words, administrative actions to accomplish what cannot be accomplished because Congress is in no mood right now to adopt comprehensive immigration reform--in effect, to use the phrase in the memorandum, a ``nonlegislative version of amnesty.'' I hope this memorandum, which is designated a ``draft,'' will be thoroughly explained by the administration and will be disavowed in terms of an intention to do an end run around Congress.…”