By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
“We need to reform our nation’s broken immigration system, but we can’t start that discussion when President Obama is overstepping his Constitutional authority and unilaterally creating new policy.”
That’s how newly-minted Congressman Rep. Tom MacArthur (R, NJ-03) explained his vote to overturn President Obama’s unilateral and wildly-unconstitutional November 2014 amnesty executive order, Save Jerseyans, shortly after the House voted 237 to 190 to block temporary deportation relief and grant work visas for an estimate 4 million illegal aliens.
For MacArthur, the President’s disregard for the rule of law supplanted all other concerns. “That’s why I voted for this bill that blocks any funds from being used to enforce his executive action,” he continued.
Still, MacArthur insists a comprehensive solution needs to be a part of a Constitutionally-appropriate resolution to the larger immigration debate. “However, I am firmly convinced that this can only be step one of our approach to immigration,” MacArthur added. “The House today took much-needed action to return to a balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government. I think this was the right move, and I supported defunding the mechanisms used to carry out the President’s illegal executive order. But it’s equally important to continue the conversation over the next few months. I look forward to bringing my colleagues on both sides of the aisle together to find solutions to our immigration problem instead of letting Washington politics continue to divide us.”
Here’s the New Jersey roll call:
Republicans — Frelinghuysen (Y); Garrett (Y); Lance (Y); LoBiondo (Y); MacArthur (Y); Smith (Y)
Democrats — Norcross (N); Pallone (N); Pascrell (N); Payne (N); Sires (N); Watson Coleman (N)
The amendment was part of the larger ‘Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2015’ that passed with 236 to 191.
Three N.J. Republicans, however, including MacArthur, joined a group of about two-dozen Republicans and voted against a different amendment to negate the President’s 2012 move to stay deportation and grant work permits where 600,000 “dreamers” (illegals who entered the U.S. as kids) are concerned.
That measure still passed albeit by a narrower margin, 218 to 209:
Republicans — Frelinghuysen (Y); Garrett (Y); Lance (Y); LoBiondo (N); MacArthur (N); Smith (N)
Democrats — Norcross (N); Pallone (N); Pascrell (N); Payne (N); Sires (N); Watson Coleman (N)
Rep. Leonard Lance (R, NJ-07) voted for both amendments. “Today’s House-passed legislation fully funds our Nation’s homeland security needs while simultaneously takes action to halt President Obama’s unilateral executive order,” Lance stated in a press release after the final vote. “The bill further enhances our national security by strengthening border security, increasing governmental transparency and improving immigration enforcement. And it defunds the President’s executive action completely.
“Executive actions that ignore our rule of law are unacceptable,” Lance, who just started his fourth term, added. “The U.S. Senate should pass this legislation and the President should sign it into law so that we can work together constructively to reform our Nation’s broken immigration system.”
Both actions by the President were grossly unconstitutional and should be overturned, Save Jerseyans. No doubt about that. The only substantive differences between November 2014 and June 2012? Well, (1) there’s some historical precedence for limited stays of deportation, even if they are unconstitutional on their face, and (2) it’s a rhetorical pain in the butt to legislate in a way that’s perceived as going after kids.
I wouldn’t still voted YEA on both amendments, without flinching, for patently obvious reasons… whatever that’s worth to you…
To be continued…
MacArthur has proven once again he is no Conservative. He only voted for the one ammendment,and no on the other. Siding with the Democrats. At least we still have Garrett who once again courageously voted the way his constiuants wanted .No on both. Macarthur once again did not listen to the people and voted for special interests and theChamber of Commerce. Sticking it to the American worker over imported wokers.
Happy to see Reps Frelinghuysen, Garrett, and Lance working for the people!
You’re not surprised at this, Ms. Shannon, are you? Welcome your support in 2016
No I am not. And the GOP wonders why people are so fed up. And anybody that disagrees gets labled and put in a box. The sad thing is that Mcarthur lied to the voters. He wore a mask through the process to get elected. He came out of nowhere, paid his way into the primary, called himself “the true Conservative”, and aggressively attacked the real Conservative in the race to push him out. If he is a centrist,as he is now labeling himself as, then he should have ran as one. He played the voters as fools and this is only going to alienate and anger more and more people, as the GOP keeps getting smaller. Great article in National Review online about the mandate the GOP was given in this last election. Tom Mcarthur and others like him, need to know.
I’m shocked.
Isn’t MacArthur buddies with Mr. Rooney?
Who cares bunch of crooks
I hope the NJ Stolen Valor Act is passed into law. Stafford Twp NJ Mayor John Spodofora is a fake Vietnam Navy SEAL. The Vietnam War Medal of Valor he boasted was bought from a hunting club magazine. http://Www.johnspodofora.com
Ted = not buddies – T-diddy is a ‘donor’
…just like he was to F/F
Still no sign of the 1600 wheelchairs. I’ll wait.
“Operation Rest of the Brown Ones” is in full swing.