President Must Work With Congress to Fix Immigration Reform

It’s going to be a bumpy week on Capitol Hill this week.

That’s according to U.S. Representative Doug Collins who spoke to dozens of Hart County citizens Saturday at the Hart County Chamber’s annual Eggs and Issues Breakfast in Hartwell.

Collins gave those attending a brief overview of the major issues currently on Capitol Hill.

Speaking on Immigration, Collins said Congress is at a standstill when it comes to immigration reform and coming to a compromise resolution because of President Barak Obama’s continued unwillingness to work with the Republican majority on Capitol Hill.

“The President refuses to negotiate,” Collins said. “The President can ask for anything he wants, but it’s the Congress that appropriates the money. So if you say, ‘I want X,’ that’s great Mr. President, we have a difference of opinion, but we’ll fund this and we won’t fund that. Now, at that point in time, it should kick in that if you don’t have the votes you should work to find out why this can’t work. But we have a President who says, ‘This is the only way I’ll take it and that is my way.’”

On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department asked that a lower court ruling that would dismantle the President’s immigration reform plan be set aside so the White House could appeal it.

At the request of 26 states currently suing the federal government, Texas U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen blocked the reform plan last week that would have let as many as 5-million illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. avoid deportation.

Collins said the President’s executive order on immigration, which came out in November is good for three years.

“Guess what’s going to happen at the end of three years? They’re going to sue and they’re going to win because they will have been vested,” Collins said.

He said immigration has to be fixed now to remedy that.

“Please look beyond the headlines. This is in important because like in the State of Texas, two million new drivers’ licenses under which they will pay benefits on everything there. Illegal immigration has got to be fixed, but you don’t do it by ignoring the law.”