In a near party-line vote, the GOP-led House voted to defund President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration, sending the bill to the newly controlled Republican Senate for consideration.
The Homeland Security Appropriations Act passed the House by a 236-191 margin. Only two Democrats voted for the bill, while 10 Republicans voted against it.
The bill, which provides $39.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Homeland Security, contains a series of amendments to roll back the President’s executive action, which provides legal work permits and defers deportation for up to 5 million immigrants here illegally.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, described the legislation as a “benchmark” for stopping the president’s “overreach” on immigration.”
“This is a country of laws, and there is a lawmaking process established in the Constitution which the president overstepped,” Tipton said. “We are working within our constitutional authority to block the president’s unilateral actions and move toward truly addressing the realities facing our nation’s broken immigration system.”
While it is difficult to estimate immigrant populations in the U.S., the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that Colorado had an immigrant population of 497,105 in 2010, which was the 17th highest of the 50 states.
Of that number, it was estimated that about one-third were in the country illegally.
Democrats accused Republicans of putting Homeland Security funding at risk by attaching veto-bait amendments on immigration, and some Republicans voiced the same concern. But House GOP leaders and most of their rank-and-file accused Obama in turn of reckless and unconstitutional actions on immigration that had to be answered.
“This executive overreach is an affront to the rule of law and to the Constitution itself,” said House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. “The people made clear that they wanted more accountability from this president, and by our votes here (Wednesday), we will heed their will, and we will keep our oath to protect and defend the Constitution.”
But Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the Republicans simply were pandering to the far right.
“Shame on Republicans for attacking the Latino community,” Sanchez said. “Republicans are consciously targeting millions of families who work hard, contribute to our communities and are just trying to give their children a chance at the American dream.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Michael Cipriano is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.
