Posted on 11/17/2014 5:19:37 PM PST by PROCON
A top Senate Democrat lent credibility to conservative efforts to block President Obama’s pending administrative amnesty, explaining that Congress has the authority to withhold funding for presidential initiatives.
“It happens all the time,” retiring Senator Carl Levin (D., Mich.) told National Review Online while walking through the Capitol Thursday evening.
Levin emphasized the distinction between shutting down the government, as happened last year, and refusing to appropriate money for something.
“That’s not uncommon that there’s amendments saying ‘none of the funds in this appropriation bill may be spent for’ — fill in the blank,” Levin said.
Republican lawmakers are debating whether to pass legislation funding government for the whole year or for a shorter term. Senator Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) and other immigration hawks oppose a long-term funding measure because it would provide Obama with the money he needs to implement his executive orders. Instead, they want to pass a short-term bill and then withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security offices tasked with carrying out the orders.
Obama’s spokesman, Josh Earnest, criticized that tactic as “an effort to shut down the government.”
Levin disagrees. He described withholding funds for the executive orders on immigration as a standard congressional procedure that should not be confused with shutting down the government.
“That’s not slash-and-burn,” he told NRO. “That’s not bringing down the government. That’s a fairly traditional, targeted approach to make a policy point.”
Levin’s days in Congress are numbered. He is being replaced next year by Democratic Senator-elect Gary Peters.
It will help if Boehner were not a Compromised Drunk.
Mitch is in the “tank” and he just got re elected for another 6 years.
GOP-E has no interest in supporting Americans.
Just RINO’s.
Mitch is a pussy, Boner is a mess.
10 to 1 says Levin’s emails promoting harassment of Conservative groups to the I.R.S. surfaces from unknown sources in less than 72 hrs
BINGO!
“If Obama decrees that certain illegals will not be deported how do you withhold money to prevent that?
It doesn’t cost anything for the government to NOT deport illegals.
If the illegals have been living here for some time without being deported and Obama says he isn’t going to deport them now. essentially nothing changes as far as government action or inaction goes.”
*****
If Obama says “illegals that can prove they’ve been here 10 years, etc”,then yes, you can. Those illegals are going to be showing proof to someone, some agency and they will be applying for amnesty with some agency. THAT’s the agency you target. No funding. Close the shop.
But since they won’t with hold funding, this is all moot.
Now go pay your taxes - someone still has to obey our laws. :)
Soon, as in 2020, when he'll be 78.
Of course, if he were somehow ousted from the leadership, he might opt to retire earlier.
then he will simply declare he will only sign a omnibus spending bill.
you are missing the point, if he wants a shutdown he will get it or get what he wants, there is no other option.
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