Office of Congressman Charlie Dent
Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) voted in favor of H.R. 5759, the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act. This language specifically prohibits President Obama from shielding those people who are in the United States illegally from removal proceedings. It is retroactive to November 20th, the date that President Obama issued his Executive Order.
“President Obama’s decision to take unilateral action on the issue of immigration is unnecessarily provocative and inflammatory,” Dent said. “The President’s Executive Order flies in the face of the notion of the separation of powers and disregards the will of the American people on the vital issue of immigration reform,” added Dent.
H.R. 5759 passed the House by a vote of 219 to 197.
“Our immigration system is broken,” said Dent. “However, the necessary corrections need to be arrived at democratically, not by one individual’s fiat. The mere fact that it is taking time to arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement shows how contentious this issue is and how important it is to arrive at the right answer. The amount of time involved, or the fact that the Senate passed a bill and the House has not, does not excuse the President’s overreach,” Dent concluded.
