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June 18, 2012: President Obama Circumvents Congress Again to Implement Immigration Executive Order - Decision Not to List Lizard on ESA will Save Jobs in Texas - Farm Bill Update
06/19/12-- Randy's Roundup --
A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer
June 18, 2012
President Obama Circumvents Congress Again to Implement Immigration Executive Order
On Friday, President Obama issued an Executive Order saying that his administration will not deport illegal aliens under the age of 30 if they meet certain criteria. His action effectively disregards the will of Congress, where immigration policy should be established. Rewarding those who are here illegally only demeans the effort that legal immigrants put forth to become American citizens through the legal channels established by our laws. I am extremely disappointed in President Obama’s actions, which are increasingly governed by politics rather than policy. There is no question our immigration system is complex and desperately needs to be reformed. But it should not be done by offering shortcuts to those who ignore the laws of our country. The solution to our immigration dilemma must be a comprehensive, consistent solution that is publicly and openly debated in Congress.
Decision Not to List Lizard on ESA will Save Jobs in Texas
I am extremely pleased that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decided last week not to list the dunes sage brush lizard under the Endangered Species Act. Listing the species for protection under the Endangered Species Act would have had unprecedented effects on energy producers, farmers, and ranchers and devastated local economies by limiting energy production and agricultural activities. Instead, energy producers in West Texas and New Mexico are conducting voluntary conservation agreements to protect the lizard. I hope that the FWS noticed the efforts made by Texas and New Mexico to preserve this species and that they will make the same decision regarding the Lesser Prairie Chicken in the future.
Farm Bill Update
The 2012 Farm Bill continues to be debated here in Washington. Today, the Senate will start its second week of floor debate on their version of the Farm Bill. Several hundred amendments have been filed to the bill on the Senate floor and senators are working through the amendment process. I anticipate the House Agriculture Committee will begin debating its own version of the bill soon so we can pass it out of committee by Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas’ July 4th goal. The House and Senate must agree to and pass one version of the bill and the president must sign it before the current Farm Bill expires on September 30th. As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass a five year Farm Bill that will provide producers the certainty they need. As this process progresses, I will continue to provide regular updates.