On the recordJanuary 13, 2015
I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this combined rule and the underlying bills. Specifically, I came to the floor to speak in support of H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015. First, I applaud House leadership for bringing up this clean legislation in a timely fashion and allowing the full House of Representatives the opportunity to work the will of the body, which is, in fact, the will of the American people. The amendments approved in this rule are vital to protecting the constitutionally mandated separation of powers between Congress and the executive branch, while keeping the Department of Homeland Security funded through fiscal year 2015. I would like to remind my colleagues who are opposed to this bill, just last week, Members of the House read on this floor the Constitution of the United States, myself included, and renewed our commitment to defending the principles in our Nation's founding document. In that Constitution, article I gave all legislative powers and authority to Congress and established the framework of our legislative process. The President's executive action on immigration threatens this separation of powers, ignores our Constitution, disregards the right of the American people to have a voice in important legislation through their elected representatives. Americans sent a clear message on November 4. They did not want the President to act alone on immigration.…
