WASHINGTON — Emboldened House Republicans issued a rebuke to President Barack Obama over immigration Thursday, passing a bill declaring his executive actions to curb deportations “null and void and without legal effect.”
Outraged Democrats, immigrant advocates and the White House said the GOP was voting to tear families apart and eject parents.
“Rather than deport students and separate families and make it harder for law enforcement to do its job, I just want the Congress to work with us to pass a common-sense law to fix that broken immigration system,” Obama said before the vote.
Even supporters acknowledged that the bill by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., which says Obama was acting “without any constitutional or statutory basis,” was mostly meant to send a message.
It stands no chance in the Senate, which remains under Democratic control until January, and faces the veto threat from Obama.
For now, Republicans insisted they must go on record denouncing what they described on the House floor as an outrageous power grab by Obama.
“The president thinks he can just sit in the Oval Office and make up his own laws. That’s not the way our system of government works,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. “This legislation says you can’t do that, Mr. President. There is a rule of law.”
The vote was 219-197, with three Democratic “yes” votes and seven Republican “no” votes, including Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman. Three Republicans voted “present.”
Obama’s executive actions last month will extend deportation relief and work permits to about 4 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, mostly those who have been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
Democratic lawmakers rallied behind the president Thursday, and immigrant advocates warned Republicans would be alienating Latinos heading into 2016 presidential elections in which the Latino vote is expected to be significant.
