Rep Justin Amash (R-Mich) Wants to Have His Cake and Eat It

Charting Course ^ | 1/15/15 | Steve Berman

[lifeofgrace]

Rep Justin Amash has some ‘splaining to do.

But first, some background.

Speaker John Boehner showed some backbone on the House floor yesterday, as that body passed a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, with amendments attached which would roll back DACA—something that’s long overdue—and remove funding for President Obama’s executive edicts (they weren’t executive actions because he simply spoke them into being like Zeus from Olympus) dealing with immigration amnesty.

Boehner gave a rare speech on the floor of the House, pushing for Congress to actually do its job and legislate, versus just sit back and watch the president make himself king, with the excuse that Congress doesn’t do what he wants.

“We are dealing with a president who has ignored the people, ignored the Constitution, and even his own past statements," Boehner said.

The strategy laid out last year before adjournment is to tie immigration actions countering the president’s unilateral plan for amnesty to the funding of DHS may actually work.  If President Obama doesn’t sign the bill, presuming it passes the Senate (and it should), then DHS runs out of money at the end of February and may have to shut down.  If the president vetoes the bill, we then have another game of chicken—and we will see if Boehner has really grown a backbone or if it is all theatrics.

Keeping Congress Honest

The amendment to end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) had 26 Republican ‘no’ votes, and the funding bill had 10 no’s.  You’d expect that some Republicans who represent districts with immigrant populations may not want to face the music back home, or genuinely oppose ending DACA.  Of the 10 ‘no’ votes on the spending bill, two voted for the amendment to end DACA.  Why would a congressman vote for the amendment and against the spending bill?  There may be reasons, but they bear scrutiny.

Rep Justin Amash and Thomas Massie want to have their cake and eat it.  Massie is a self-styled conservative representing Kentucky’s 4th district—a smart guy who’s got an MIT education and 24 patents, but I haven’t figured out his logic in splitting his vote the way he did.  Amash, on the other hand, is being disingenuous.  You might remember him from the classy and gracious way he praised his opponent in his victory speech—my sarcasm is intentional—it was a speech a small, bitter man might make.

America’s Voice, a pro-amnesty website, boasted that Amash supports immigration reform and citizenship back in October.  So why did Amash vote for the amendment to end DACA, when he’s clearly against it?  Maybe to let others take the heat on it, and then duck under the radar by voting against the bill itself?  Maybe Rep Amash can explain himself.

Here are the GOP representatives who voted against the DACA amendment:

Reps. Mark Amodei (Nev.) Mike Coffman (Colo.) Ryan Costello (Pa.) Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) Jeff Denham (Calif.) Charlie Dent (Pa.) Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.) Bob Dold (Ill.) Renee Ellmers (N.C.) Chris Gibson (N.Y.) Richard Hanna (N.Y.) Cresent Hardy (Nev.) Joe Heck (Nev.) John Katko (N.Y.) Peter King (N.Y.) Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) Frank LoBiondo (N.J.) Tom MacArthur (N.J.) Martha McSally (Ariz.) Patrick Meehan (Pa.) Devin Nunes (Calif.) Dave Reichert (Wash.) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) Chris Smith (N.J.) Fred Upton (Mich.) David Valadao (Calif.)

Here are the ‘no’ votes on the funding bill:

Mike Coffman (Colo.) Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) Jeff Denham (Calif.) Mario Díaz-Balart (Fla.) Robert Dold (Ill.) Renee Ellmers (N.C.) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) David Valadao (Calif.).

Justin Amash (Mich.) Thomas Massie (Ky.)

[cripplecreek]

Lots of illegal supported business in his district I believe.



Michigan legislative action thread

[SoConPubbie]

Speaker John Boehner showed some backbone on the House floor yesterday, as that body passed a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, with amendments attached which would roll back DACA—something that’s long overdue—and remove funding for President Obama’s executive edicts (they weren’t executive actions because he simply spoke them into being like Zeus from Olympus) dealing with immigration amnesty.

He did no such thing.

He did not make those amendments non-severable, so the Senate can simply remove them and send the bill back to the house in conference.

This was all Kabuki theater to prove to you meanie conservatives that John is really, really on your side and a conservative, while he still is doing the bidding of the Chamber of Commerce.

If he really wanted to prove he had some backbone, he would have made those amendments non-severable.

[cyn]

Who helps, who hurts? I do not know who to trust. Thinking it must be “no one”...

[DoodleDawg]

“We are dealing with a president who has ignored the people, ignored the Constitution, and even his own past statements," Boehner said.

And a Speaker who is doing at least two out of three.

[jimpick]

This is just like obamacare. Put up a show and then cave to what odumby wants.

My question is what was in the bill that we don’t know about that Amash voted against. I have zero trust in the GOP leadership. They will lie lie and then lie again to we the base.

I will believe jail inmates strung out on method before bonehead.

[Shery]

Boehner is stupid enough to believe we believe his hat trick? He says what he needs to say to stop the millions of calls and letters, then he doubles down on stupid and does exactly what we know he will do when the heat dies down.

[Chiefwilnel]

once again how do defund not deporting?

[Beagle8U]

Amash is a Libtardian and a phony. He is no conservative.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the post; ping; explanation.

[Beagle8U]

It takes a lot of money to process all those green cards and give them SS cards and drivers licenses.

Not deporting them is what the bastard has been doing since 2009, this is making them legal.

[Chiefwilnel]

yes but if they are deported the don’t get ss or dls

[MarMema]

Where is his district? I am still trying to learn about Traverse...

[Fledermaus]

Yep. It’s a ploy to bait conservatives but we aren’t buying.

[cripplecreek]

Well south of you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%27s_congressional_districts