Ted Yoho: Harry Reid Needs to Act on Obama Immigration Action

U.S. Rep. Ted Yohos, R-Fla., Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act passed the U.S. House on Thursday on a 219-197 vote. The bill pushes back against President Barack Obamas executive action on immigration, insisting he has overstepped his constitutional boundaries. Now, Yoho says, the ball is in U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reids, D-Nev., court.

I introduced this legislation to stop the presidents executive amnesty, Yoho said on Thursday. I could not stand idly by as the president trampled our Constitution, our laws, and our sovereignty. I am glad that 219 of my colleagues joined me.

I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte, leadership, and the members of this body for helping bring my bill to the floor. This is about the administration overstepping its bounds and unilaterally changing the laws of this country, Yoho continued. Our Founding Fathers established this separation of powers to prevent an overreaching executive. If we continue to surrender our legislative powers to the executive branch then we could easily be standing here in five or 10 years discussing a Republican president who refuses to enforce the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act or any other law he chooses.

Just because one might agree with the outcome does not justify overlooking or violating the process to get to that outcome, Yoho added. Congress has the constitutional powers to create and write laws. The president has a duty to faithfully execute those laws, not pick and choose parts he likes or doesnt like. Im pleased that this legislation passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis and ask that Senator Reid take this legislation up, or explain to the American people why he is allowing this presidents unconstitutionality to continue.