Obama essentially called the Republicans bluff yesterday. He has flat out told them he is going to go ahead with his executive amnesty no mater what they do, and if they feel like it, they can rubber stamp it after he is done.
If Republicans let Obama get away with this they are essentially repudiating any mandate they received from their own voters Tuesday. Obama would then be emboldened to ignore Congress on everything from Iran, to Obamacare, to energy policy.
The only thing Republicans can do now is use the power of the purse to constrain Obama’s executive power. They must pass an appropriations bill that specifically denies all funding for issuing work permits and other documents to any illegal alien seeking prosecutorial discretion. Or limit the number of permits issued to something in line with historical norms.
House Republicans don’t have to pass such a bill right away. It is probably wiser for them to quickly pass a short-term continuing resolution in the lame-duck and then comeback to fight again in January when they have a Republican Senate to fight with them.
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