You can always count on Rep. Trey Gowdy not only to tell it like it is, but to do so with a rhetorical flourish worthy of a sitting congressman.
During Wednesday morning’s debate over H.R. 240 to fund the Department of Homeland Security and attach amendments aimed at defunding President Barack Obama’s executive actions granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, Gowdy blasted the president for his hypocrisy.
And his fellow representatives apparently loved it.
“President Obama announced one of the largest extra-constitutional power grabs ever by a chief executive,” the South Carolina Republican started. “He declared unilaterally that almost five million undocumented aliens will receive deferred action under some new-fangled definition of prosecutorial discretion, Madam Speaker.”
Gowdy, a former prosecutor himself, understands prosecutorial discretion as well as anyone in the House — and better, apparently, than the president.
“Not only that,” he added, “not only escaping consequences, he has decided to bestow benefits such as work authorization and immigration benefits.”
But by these actions, the president is doing something that he himself — a supposed constitutional law expert — has repeated said he could not legally do.
“This, Madam Speaker, despite the fact that the very same president over 20 different times said he lacked the power to do what he just did. And he repeatedly said he’s not a king,” Gowdy said.
And then he delivered a line that may go down in congressional history as one of the most devastating ever targeted at a sitting president.
“Now, Madam Speaker, his position may have changed — after the election, I hasten to add — but the Constitution has not,” Gowdy said.
“That document is clear, time-tested and true,” he explained, “and it says that this body passes laws and it is the responsibility of the chief executive, Madam Speaker, to make sure that those laws are faithfully enforced.”
Obama’s executive actions not only represented bad policy, Gowdy argued, but also threatened the very foundation of the balance of power established by the Founders to prevent tyranny in the federal government.
“If this president’s unilateral, extra-constitutional acts are not stopped, Madam Speaker, future presidents will no doubt expand that power of the executive branch and threaten the constitutional equilibrium,” he said.
The question of whether or not to block spending on the president’s immigration initiatives, then, was not one of politics, but rather one of statesmanship.
“But, Madam Speaker, this is not a fight between Republicans and Democrats,” Gowdy explained. “It’s not even a fight over immigration reform. This is a fight over whether this branch of government will ever find the courage to stand up for itself.”
At this point the South Carolinian had to pause and repeat himself because of the applause that rose in the chamber.
“The same document that this and all presidents swear to defend gives this body certain tools. Tools like the power of the purse,” Gowdy concluded.
“And it’s about damn time we used that tool.”
You can watch the entirety of Gowdy’s brief comments here, courtesy of Western Journalism:
Trey Gowdy is a hard act to follow, so I’m not even going to try to add to his wise words.
But I will encourage all of us to take a moment to consider — and hopefully to express — our gratitude that there are such men in Congress willing to fight to uphold their oaths to defend the Constitution.
Please share this article on Twitter and Facebook if you agree with Rep. Trey Gowdy that Congress must stand up for its place under the Constitution or risk a complete dissolution of the balance of power in the federal government.
