By Tom Waring
Wire Staff Writer
U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick last week voted to block President Barack Obama’s immigration executive orders, calling them unconstitutional.
Fitzpatrick said, “President Obama’s use of executive action to dramatically alter American immigration laws runs counter to Constitutional precedent and flies in the face of his previous statements that he could not, and should not, change immigration laws through executive order.”
The congressman, who visited the U.S. southern border last summer, said the nation’s immigration system is too important to be left to one man to rewrite, reinterpret or refuse to enforce.
“This common-sense measure takes meaningful steps to rein in the president’s abuse of power and establishing the opinion of the ‘People’s House’ while fully funding the Department of Homeland Security’s vital mission of protecting our country,” he said.
“Americans deserve elected officials willing to work together to come up with serious, long-term and legal solutions to our immigration problems. That means abandoning this issue as a political wedge, and seriously committing to fixing this once and for all. This legislation clears the slate, now the president and Senate should join the House in getting to work.”
Fitzpatrick, a Republican, is serving his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, which includes all of Bucks County as well as a portion of Montgomery County.
