Representative Bradley Byrne has slammed the announcement by President Obama that he intends to bypass Congress and make use of his executive powers to enact immigration reform in the United States. Byrne says that the president “just doesn’t seem to get it” and that that power to establish immigration laws is reserved only for Congress, as the founders intended.
“I am not even convinced the president actually wants immigration reform, but rather an issue to use on the campaign trail,” Byrne said in a written statement. Obama gave no specifics when he made the announcement on Monday but declared that he intended to take executive action before the end of summer in order to change immigration laws in the United States.
Advocates for immigration reform have for months held hopes that the House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republican party, would agree to offer a pathway to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants; however, leaders of the House have made it very clear that they have no intention of doing so, at least in 2014.
Obama slammed the House for their inaction, calling it bad for the country and calling on the House to stop making excuses; Byrne, however, has attacked the president’s attitude and remarks. “If President Obama was serious, he would start by enforcing the laws currently in place and work to build trust with those of us in the House,” he suggested.
Byrne added that despite his remarks, Obama has no authority to change the law just because he does not agree with it. “But that is not how our government works,” Byrne explained.