Congresswoman Kay Grange
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Earlier this week Congress acted to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the end of the current fiscal year. Under no circumstances was I going to let DHS shut down.
The threats facing the United States today are as serious as they were immediately before September 11th 2001. I do not believe that shutting down the department that oversees transportation security border security and critical counterterrorism efforts would be in the best interest of our country.
Unfortunately there is some misinformation about the bill in terms of what was actually funded. The bill that was signed into law did not provide any funding for President Obamas illegal executive actions on immigration. The funding for implementation of his executive actions is not appropriated by Congress. The funding for the Presidents actions would come from fees paid by immigrants who are seeking legal status. Therefore the office in DHS tasked with carrying out his actions would remain open whether or not DHS was shut down. President Obama would have to voluntarily rescind his executive actions or he would have to sign legislation into law doing so and he is not going to take either course of action.
A few weeks ago a Texas court issued an order blocking the Presidents unconstitutional executive actions from being carried out. This ruling proves that the Presidents actions were illegal. I believe the legal system is the best chance to permanently stop the executive actions from being implemented.
I have never agreed with the Presidents illegal executive actions on immigration. I continue to believe that more should be done to stop his unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority but I do not believe shutting down a vital part of homeland security accomplishes that goal; especially when it would not hold the President accountable or stop his executive actions from being implemented.
