This Thursday, the Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives challenged President Barack Obama's change to immigration enforcement rules via an executive order. This allows House Speaker Paul Ryan to file an amicus brief, (a "friend of the court" brief if you remember that chapter) in the case on immigration currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Following party lines closely, the motion passed 234-186, with five Republicans opposing it.
As the debates have shown, immigration is a key issue this election season. Both Republicans and Democrats alternate between placing blame on each other and on Congress for failing to address the issue properly.
Ryan argued that the motion to issue a brief to the court is more about filling legislative responsibility than anything having to do with politics, as usual.
"This is not a question of whether we are for or against a certain policy. Members who are here making immigration policy arguments are missing the whole point here. This comes down to a much more fundamental question. It is about the integrity of our Constitution," Ryan argued.
House Democrats immediately said otherwise, arguing that it has a lot to do with the despised-by-the-establishment GOP frontrunner, Donald "The Don" Trump.
"Sadly, there's not much difference between Donald Trump and House Republicans when it comes to a record of appalling anti-immigrant statements and an agenda of discrimination," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said at her weekly press conference.
Ryan was not alone. Recently, more than 200 House and Senate Democrats filed their own amicus briefs. They were in support of the President's executive actions that allowed children of undocumented workers to remain in the United States. They are now arguing that Republicans are stepping beyond their responsibility, forcing a political agenda and wasting House time.
The GOP maintained that Obama stepped past the legislature, giving them a cause to act.
Source:
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/118388/20160314/pro-immigration-groups-fight-paul-ryans-plan-to-file-supreme-court-brief-against-president-obamas-immigration-orders.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politics/paul-ryan-immigration-house-republicans-donald-trump/index.html
1 comment:
I find what is going on between Obama and Congress rather interesting as of late. For one, Obama has finally appointed a Supreme Court nominee, beloved by both Democrats and Republicans and previously praised by Orrin Hatch. Yet, Mitch McConell has said that Obama is wasting the nation's time on something that will never happen and continues to refuse to hold a hearing for the appointee. This has made me think that the Republicans must be banking on a brokered election where Trump is not the nominee because otherwise it is likely that either Clinton, whom they hate passionately, or Trump, who is horrifying on many levels, will be appointing the next Supreme Court Justice. Similarly, in this case of immigration the Republicans and Democrats are both falling into partisan lines and battling each other as enemies. The Republicans see Obama as a dictator that is overstepping the constitution. On the other end, the Democrats view House Republicans as stalling the legislative process once again instead of working with the President to enact reform or reach some sort of compromise. One point I find interesting about the Republican push against letting the children of illegal immigrants remain in the United States is that they have been trying to pull in minorities and reinvent the party. However, their frontrunner has made countless racist comments and their current legislation goes against illegal immigrants, alienating many minority groups. I do not believe Ryan when he says this is simply about the constitution. Nothing in politics is motivated by only one thing. Rather, I believe both parties are pushing against one another and creating gridlock, and then pointing fingers.
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-03-17/gop-led-house-backs-legal-challenge-to-obama-on-immigration
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