Ted Poe: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair, ``America is a Nation of laws, which means, I, as the President, am…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair, ``America is a Nation of laws, which means, I, as the President, am obligated to enforce the law. I don't have a choice about that. That is part of my job. ``With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that is just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed. ``There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply, through executive order, ignore those congressional mandates, would not conform with my appropriate role as President.'' Those are the words of the former constitutional law professor, and now President, on March 28, 2011. Those very words condemn executive amnesty. The United States is ruled by law, not by one person. The United States is not a monarchy. If it were, we would have kept King George III. The executive amnesty is not only unconstitutional, Madam Chair, it is at cross-purposes to security. The Department of Homeland Security cannot secure the U.S. border, no matter how many programs and how much money we spend on homeland security, as long as the Executive undermines law and security by unilaterally ignoring those very security laws. We can give all the money we want to the Department of Homeland Security, but that doesn't do any good if we do not make sure the law is enforced.…”