Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) says congressional Republicans are ready to start acting in response to what they consider to be President Obama’s refusal to honor the rule of law and defend our nation’s borders.
Gosar says the upcoming actions include tightening funding to the relevant federal agencies accused of not doing their jobs, enforcing strict constraints on who is allowed to stay in this country after coming illegally and bypassing the president to work with states to restore security to the southern border.
The first tool the GOP plans to employ is the power of the purse, which does not require approval from the Senate or the president.
“September is the largest spending month in federal workforce calendars. So why don’t we re-prioritize these aspects within the IRS, which has hardly been a stalwart aspect of upholding the Constitution? How about the Department of Justice? How about the executive branch? I think all these can suffer a little bit in regards to bringing that money forward so that the American taxpayer doesn’t have to be impugned by additional finances,” said Gosar.
On Wednesday the House voted to reduce IRS funding in Fiscal 2015 by $566 million below current spending levels. The congressman says the exact strategy on reducing funds is not fully worked out, but he says GOP members are definitely in agreement on the general idea.
“I think there’s a lot of consensus that there’s opportunity here to look within the current budget and making sure that the president is brought before the Constitution so that he upholds the Constitution,” said Gosar.
A 2008 immigration law is causing frustration for some border security advocates since it mandates due process for children crossing the border rather than simply turning them around and sending them home. However, Gosar says the law also puts clear limits on who can stay here in those circumstances.
“(We need to be) streamlining the process, holding the administration accountable with respect to the 2008 law. they’d have to show that they were part of sex trafficking. That’s the only detail that most people are not talking about. It’s not just anybody from a contiguous state, it’s those that are involved in sex trafficking (who can stay). Hardly every single individual that’s been transported is involved in sex trafficking,” he said.
Gosar admits that demanding Obama enforce the law only goes so far. However, if he refuses to do his job, the congressman says Congress can go over his head and coordinate with border state governors who do take national security seriously.
“It’s time that we start to work with the states, like Texas. Gov. (Rick) Perry has shown that he’s ready to move. I think the governor of Arizona (Jan Brewer) would be another good place given her stalwart actions in regards to defense of the border. I think California will also join along. New Mexico, I think, would also because a plurality in New Mexico want border security enforced,” said Gosar, who elaborated on the steps Congress can encourage the states to take.
“The first thing that states have is the National Guard. They have the power of their purse in regards to initiating that response to the border as well as police enforcement. So I think the first aspect is a show of force to make sure the rule of law is actually supported,” said Gosar.
Two other legislative efforts are underway, but neither will have the support of Rep. Gosar. Earlier this week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) introduced a bill mandating much faster processing of the tens of thousands illegally crossing the border. Their plan would require each case to be heard within seven days of each person clearing HHS inspection and a decision on whether a person can stay in the U.S. to be rendered within three days of the hearing.
Gosar says this plan isn’t terrible but is completely unnecessary.
“The president already has in his arsenal the ability to accomplish exactly those things: to speed up the opportunity, executively change the process. He has the ability to do that right now,” he said.
The congressman also has little use for Obama’s request for $3.7 billion in emergency spending. He says Obama is jamming unrelated spending priorities into this bill and it won;t really solve the problems.
“I think throwing money like he’s asking for at this problem without having a stalwart plan…is not a good plan at all,” said Gosar.
Gosar says Obama owns this problem because of his unilateral implementation of several DREAM Act provisions in 2012 and for championing the Senate bill which provides for instant legalization for the vast majorityof those in the country illegally. He also says the rule of law is breaking down because the president refuses to enforce what’s on the books and his constituents are noticing.
“We have a lot of people very upset. They range from folks that are on the liberal side to the conservative side, saying this is out of hand. This is a humanitarian crisis but also a crisis on the sovereignty of this country,” said Gosar.
The president contends the problem lies at the feet of congressional Republicans, who refuse to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. However, Gosar says the voters are not fooled and the failure to resolve this crisis soon will backfire on Obama and his party.
“I’d hate to be a Democrat come November,” he said.