GOP rep: Obama immigration order like ignoring environmental laws

Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) on Monday suggested that Democrats would be equally outraged by a Republican president refusing to enforce the Clean Air Act as the GOP currently is with President Obama’s immigration action.

Byrne said that Democrats would accuse a Republican president of ignoring the Constitution in a similar situation.

{mosads}”Imagine a few years down the road that a Republican president announces he has instructed the Justice Department to no longer enforce the Clean Air Act. That he has told the Justice Department to no longer prosecute violations of the Clean Air Act. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rise up with frustration and indignation,” Byrne said on the House floor.

Byrne argued that President Obama’s unilateral action to delay deportations for up to five million undocumented immigrations went well beyond mere prosecutorial discretion in implementing laws.

“I would say this type of executive action is clearly not what the founders had in mind when they drafted our Constitution. The main overriding goal of our forefathers was to prevent the executive from becoming too powerful,” Byrne said.

Byrne called on the new GOP Congress to pass legislation to enhance border security and update worker visa programs. 

“I believe this House should rise above the actions of the president. And early next year, we should send the president real border security legislation,” Byrne said.