quote, working in america at is in decline. the share of crime age men 25 to 54 who are not working has more than tripled since the late 1960s. 16%. more recently, since the turn of the century the share of women without paying jobs as been rising too. the united states, which has one of the highest employment rates among developed nations as recently as 2000 has fallen toward the bottom of the list. continuing the quote from the new york times, at the same time it has become harder for men to find high-paying jobs. foreign competition, technological advances have eliminated many of the jobs in which high school graduates could earn $40 an hour, even

more. that is what the new york times is telling us and it is not a recent thing. it is a trend of some years. since the end of the 1960s the timeframe identified by the auditor since the 60s during the period we have seen this decline, a share of the united states population that is foreign-born has increased less than 5% to 13%. as a total number, the size of the foreign-born population has quadrupled over the last week for decades. washington policies these figures are only going to rise, congressional research service for congress estimates that the foreign-born population could reach as high as 58 million in a decade based on recent trends. again, let's be frank and talk

honestly, prime minister david cameron in the u.k. united kingdom, recently said it is not wrong to talk about this. the nation needs to talk about the wages of its people, financial status of its people and it is right and proper to ask the question whether or not immigration can impact that in an adverse way. i say that to say i am not being anti-immigrant, people are good people who want to come to america. i am saying at this point in history it is clear we don't have jobs -- we don't have a job for american native-born. now we are bringing in millions more. we need to ask ourselves honestly is this a good policy for the republic which we are supposed to surf? only an adjustment in policy, i suggest, will change this just

as policy was changed early in the twenty-first century to allow labor markets to be restored and kind and wages go up so this is an issue that affects all presidents, our foreign born, that are here today, wanting to work and the u.s. boeing. among those most affected by the size of these large immigrant flows are the new immigrants themselves who want to get a good job that pays a good salary. by continuing to admit these large numbers over such a sustained period of time, many immigrants are unable to find jobs. less than half of the immigrants who entered california since 2010 are participating in the labour force. they are not finding jobs, not enough jobs. so half the number of immigrants

who enter the country in california since 2010 are not working according to the los angeles times. and in los angeles where four and ten residents are immigrants, 1-third of them lived in poverty. so we have an obligation to those we lawfully admit, not to create a circumstance by admitting more than can find jobs, not to admit so many that wages are brought down. a sound immigration policy must serve the needs of people who are lawfully year and people who are native born. that has got to be the primary focus of what we are doing. this discussion has got to be had, colleagues. we can't ignore this. we can't make like we can absorb an unlimited number of workers

when we don't have jobs for the workers we have. immigrants and native-born workers are competing with a large flow of temporary guest workers. in addition temporary guest workers are brought to the united states from abroad for the explicit purpose of taking a job. not a path to green card and citizenship, they come just to work for a limited period of time. each year the u.s. admits roughly 700,000 guests for first. to fill jobs that otherwise might go to people here. of those 700,000 guest workers, roughly about 10% -- lot of people think the guest workers are all working on a farm somewhere. that is not so. only 10% of our and 90% take

jobs in almost every industry in america, from good paying construction jobs to coveted positions at technology firms in silicon valley. the pressure is on the middle-class pocketbook. you have a large flow of permanent immigration and temporary workers, the elimination of many good paying jobs in factories and plants, advances in robotics, the shedding of manufacturing jobs due to overseas competition. a sluggish and oversregulated economy that is growing too slowly to keep pace with population growth and the high cost of energy, health care and household goods. policymakers in washington need to be reducing the burden on working families, not making their lives more difficult. that is exactly what we have

been doing. harvard professor, perhaps the premier student of these economic matters because you worked on them for decades estimates that high emigration flows from 1980 to 2,000 based on data at reduce the wages of lower skilled american workers by 7.4%. $25, $130 a month as a direct result of the flow of immigration from 1980 to 2,000. i don't think it is defensible, colleagues, for people to say that it will help wages to bring in more people. our own cbo scored that the immigration bill that cleared the senate but died in the house has become law, wages would be

down for a decade. he estimates current immigration rates produce a net loss, current rate of $402 billion for american workers to compete with foreign labor. 402 billion. furthermore as documented by the center for immigration studies relying exclusively on government data, net employment gains among working age to working age since the year 2000 have gone to immigrant workers. net 18 when you look at how many came in and how many jobs were created and how many were taken the number of people became in matches the number of jobs that have been created. this remarkable trend occurred even as the number of working age native of americans

increased buying newseum million. 17 million is a dramatic figure. is not a decline in native workers as some businesses try to say. and demographic decline, we have to deal with it. we are still growing in the working ages. 17 million since 2000 increased in the age group. here are a few statistics. these are not temporary trends, 25 to 54 are not working, this includes 10 million men and 10 million women. median weekly earnings are lower today than in the year 2000. median family income is down

$4,000 since november of 2007. our wages for families have declined dramatically. $4,000 is $450 a month. in this context we must consider the in executive amnesty in playing a violation of law in the express will of the american people, work permits to be issued to those already here. these illegal workers will now be able to compete for any job in america. they are already working, already in the labour force. many of them are not. many are working part time. in los angeles we found more than half of those who entered

since 2010 are unemployed. one reason may be they are lawfully year and can't get a good job at the county commission, city hall, construction companies, good paying jobs out there. the president's authority will give illegal immigrants the unfettered access to any job in america, presumably if they're not hired at city hall because the mayor thinks he shouldn't hire somebody who enters the country illegally they can file a lawsuit and demand to be hired. they have been given lawful status by the president of the united states and id card with social security and work authorization. participating in social security and medicare, week ending those programs which are already in deep financial trouble.

this illegal amnesty is part of a broader immigration division from the president, legislation he endlessly champions. a bill run behind closed doors with billionaire activists and open borders enthusiast and immigration activists, it surges immigration rates every ear. that is his vision. keith ellison four decades of record immigration the president's bill, supported unanimously by senate democrats stopped in the house, republican house, triples the issuance of permanent residency cards over ten years. the next ten years it that bill passed it would have tripled the number of people given permanent legal status in america. center for immigration studies explains that this legislation within a mere six years increased the percentage of the u.s. population born abroad to a

level never before reached in american history. by 2003 nearly one in 6 residents under this plan would be foreign-born. a dramatic and historic paine -- change in our immigration policy. not surprisingly the nonpartisan congressional budget office projected that the results of such legislation would be lower wages, higher unemployment and reduced per-capita gdp. all of this begs a simple question. who is looking out for american workers? who is looking out for their interests, fighting to help them get a better job and better pay? working to have their communities climb out of poverty. who is looking out for their interests? the immigration debate in the nation's capital is centered on the needs of illegal immigrants,

foreign workers, large employers. isn't it time after decades of open immigration that we focus on what we can do to help americans restore growth in their wages and job prospects? after 40 years we have seen declining wages and higher unemployment. is it not defensible and rational thing to slow down a little bit? all-out wages begin to rise some? assimilation to occur more effectively and held those that are you today, foreign immigrants who had come to america who are struggling to rise to the middle class, and that made this album be more successful? more prosperous? and flourish better in america? the american people have babies and pleaded for a long pool

system of immigration that serves a national interest. not special interests but politicians have refused, refused, refused. this summer alone the white house met 20 times, it was reported, in the white house, with business leaders. amnesty lobbyists, immigration activists, to crashed their borders to deal with and legalizes people here unlawfully. action will be had been meeting for years with these groups. these groups have raised $1.5 billion according to one independent group to spent on this activity, to promote this legislation but you know who wasn't invited into that room? you were invited into that room.

you the american citizen were not there. do you get a say in these secret meetings? the meeting two days ago with shares from oliver america. they said do not allow this unlawful amnesty to occur. so the super elites in washington and wall street dream of a world without borders, a paradise i guess where pesky little things like law and rules and national boundaries are not a problem, don't get in the way of their division. the only challenge these great global citizens face are these pesky people called the voters who cling to the old fashioned idea of a nation as a home and the border as something real land worth protecting. thesees, you see, no better.

if you are worried about your jobs for wages, concerned the pace of immigration in your communities too fast and too lodge, if you feel your needs are not being considered, you are just the nativist, you see? you are selfish. we are making more money in the business level, profits are up. your wages are down? you think it is caused by immigration? it is not. we know better than you. it is not the only factor in wage decline but it is a factor. when an election happens and the people rabaul, this open border's agenda, there's one thing for these elites to do. they just impose their own laws. how congress answer is this

challenge will shape the future of this republic, defend and protect the people who sent us here, their laws to be passed, the constitution, their communities, we just once again abandoned them, give them what service but no real action. i pose that question to the body and suggest there is no purpose to our being here if it is not to serve and protect and defend all loyal people who sent us here on their behalf, time for us to get busy. i am deeply disappointed that the majority leader is blocking an amendment that would deal with this matter. united states annette, a senator from any state should have an amendment that deals with the crises of our time and we are being blocked once again. it denies accountability, it is wrong, it is improper and the american people are getting

tired of it and those who facilitate it in the future may find they will speak out even more clearly in the future. i thank the chair and yield the floor. >> anyone watching congress right now would have little reason to think that a historic election occurred only a few weeks ago. washington d.c. sadly continues to remain deaf to the american people. washington d.c. continues to refuse to listen to the american people. even though millions of voters rose up just one month ago to protest of president obama and the senate democrats were running washington, business as usual is continuing in side the marble halls of the united states congress. what is happening here?

last night, we saw chaos in the u.s. house of representatives as they were rather until late in the night voting on a bill that the vast majority of the members had never even sat down to read. yet somehow at the last minute just in the nick of time, with an arm twisted here and a nudge there, it passed the house. not it is here in the united states senate. before the senate today is the $1.1 trillion bill full of christmas presents for lobbyists and special interests in washington. i know it is christmas time but it is not our job to be playing santa. this bill is not designed to help working americans.

it is designed to para a off all the promises, made the lobbyists funded campaigns and is designed to make sure a whole lot of folks to fly home, sure that more campaign dollars in coming weeks. before the united states senate is a bill that continues to funded the train wreck that is obamacare and does nothing to provide relief to millions of men and women who are hurting and suffering and lost their jobs and their health care because of this disaster. before the united states senate is a bill that does nothing, absolutely nothing to stop president obama's illegal and constitutional amnesty. that is why i rise to speak

today. the executive amnesty is lawless and unconstitutional. be clear is that executive amnesty, not a dispute between president obama and republicans in congress. it is a dispute between president obama and the american people. in this last election president obama said something that was absolutely correct. he said his policies were on the ballot all across this country. the president is right. this election was a referendum on amnesty. i spent ruffling two months on the road campaigning for senate candidates, in race after race after race front and center, if you elect republicans, we will

stop president obama's amnesty. the american people's verdict of that referendum was not ambiguous. over and over and over again, voters in states decided not to send back the incumbent democrat. and you and i or freshman, there were just 29 democratic freshmen that year and three republicans. today there are 12 republican freshmen, 12 new senators, a quarter of the republican conference elected as the results of a referendum on amnesty. people have spoken loudly. yet sadly president obama has reacted to the voters in a way that is unprecedented in

american history. particularly as second president repudiated by the voters and there is away presidents responded as they react with humility. they react acknowledging the american people trying to course correct. it came out in angry and defiant and declared to the american people did doesn't matter what the american people say, and what the congress elected by the american people says. he is instead going to unilaterally decreed illegal amnesty for some 5 million people who are here illegally. we are going to have a vote on this omnibus bill. part of that vote, critical in

that vote should be a vote on president obama's illegal amnesty. we should consider the constitutionality of his actions. every senator should be put on record whether he or she believes it is constitutional for president to disregard, to ignore federal immigration laws and blanket amnesty to millions in defiance of the laws on the books. this president believes he can unilaterally alter laws he disagrees with. there is a form of governance where one man or one woman can make the laws, can change the laws, can enforce the laws. it is called the monarchy. there are countries on earth right now that have monarchies, the legislative and executive

power in one person. i would notice americans historically, we are not unfamiliar with marquee. we fought a bloody revolution to free ourselves from a tyrannical monarchy and the constitution, when our framers to serve chains, to bind the mischief of government. the danger we are facing here right now is profound in so far as it concerns amnesty, and as it concerns checks and balances, a president who can set aside the law and pick and choose which law to follow and which law to ignore is no longer a president. that should concern all 100

senators here. president obama can decide i don't agree with the immigration law so i will not enforce them or unilaterally change them. there is going to come and other president with a different policy views, it may be tax laws or environmental laws or labor laws. i fervently believe we need tax reform and labor reforms and environmental reform but there is a proper way to do it and that way is this body debating legislative changes, and setting aside the laws. and presidential temper tantrums are not an acceptable means of discourse. one of the characteristics of a lot monarchy is he or she need not compromise.

the president has justified this illegal amnesty by saying he told congress what he wanted and congress refused to give it to him. mr. president, the relationship in our constitutional republic between the president and the congress is not the relationship between a parent and a child. the president does not get to demand of congress here is the policy i want, either give me what i want or i will decrease it to be so and ignore the law. this is the president's bargaining position. let me be clear. we need common sense immigration reform. i support common sense immigration reform but the way it works in our constitutional system, if you want to change the laws you have to work with the other branches and that means you have to compromise. it means the president doesn't get everything he wants. this is a president who is barely willing even to talk to congress much less to compromise

on anything. as alexander hamilton explained in federalist 69, a monarch decrees, dictate rules through fear, which is what president obama is attempting to do right now. when the president embraces the tactics of a monarch it becomes incumbent on congress to wield the constitutional power this body has as the elected people's representative to stop it. congress, representing the voice of the people who spoke resoundingly in an election should use every constitutional tool available to prevent the president from subverting the rule of law. when the president usurps the legislative power and defies the limits of his authority it becomes all the more imperative for congress to act and congress should use those powers given to it by the constitution to

counter a lawless executive branch where this body will lose its authority. if the president will not respect the people, congress must. secondly, let me ask a question. why are we q today in a lame duck? why is there a session of congress the second week of december with so many members voting? the american people just said they want--no longer want to be represented by? why are so many members getting ready to land and lobby jobs and industry and trade associations, all of our colleagues, a whole bunch of them, we will see them again, they will have more expensive suits, more finely

tailored and come with an army of lobbyists aids with them, the house and senate are filled with people who won't be here next year and that is not an accident because these bodies are voting to find that $1 trillion spending bill and those members who were defeated or retiring aren't accountable to anybody. they won't have to answer for this but it is even worse. i mentioned this omnibus as a payoff to case to reach. that is where a lot of retiring lobbyists, retiring members are going to go. what a perfect way to get your job, to ensure that you come with goodies for the rich and powerful. the american people are disgusted by the washington works. washington under the obama administration takes care of the rich and powerful, those who walk the corridors of power and ordinary working men and women are left in the dark.

people have been hurt and under the obama -- hispanics and african-americans, and single moms. and yet i am sorry to say in the current senate there are very few advocates for the people who are really hurting. let me give one example. one of the elements of this bill is the so-called expatriate health-insurance plan fix. this mommy does exempt from obamacare. what is this about? american insurance companies that sell insurance policies to expatriates', americans living abroad are subject to all of the oppressive mandates of obamacare. of the mandated coverage mandating things like maternity care for women who are no longer in childbearing years, all sorts of mandates the drive up the cost and the punitive taxes.

what has happened? insurance companies came to congress and said it is not fair, hurting business and hurting jobs. obamacare is. you get enough lobbyists together and suddenly you get bipartisan agreement. this provision had republicans and democrats together saying we should carve a special exemption for the big insurance company. there are a lot of things about this body they don't teach in civics class. a lot of things in this body that would horrify the typical junior high or high school student learning about how government operates. one of them--an awful lot of legislation gets passed in the hot light. that is someone who sends an e-mail and says unless you object, this will be treated as automatically passed. all sorts of things get done on the hot line without this body

of debating it or considering amendments or taking it to the floor. the expatriate insurance amendment, senators, both democrats and republicans wanted to shoot it through in the lame duck in the quiet of night. i think there are some good arguments on the merits for is this bill. is not unreasonable, the expatriate bill, i mean the. is not unreasonable to recognize obamacare is costing jobs it is hurting but i will tell you the way hot line works, any individual senator can't object, a raised an objection to the hot line and let me tell you why i did. this may well make sense, we shouldn't do it with no amendments, no debate in the dark of night. we should do this on the floor of the senate with the debate

and with amendments. in particular i take the opportunity to ask my friends and colleagues who are democrats who are supporting this exemption. if you think these provisions of obamacare are so onerous, so damaging, killing so many jobs, why won't you provide an exemption for the people who live in your state? if is harmful why discriminate against the people living in your state? i want to take up on the floor in a context where you cannot amendments to say listen. it is all find to take care of the big insurance companies but how about somebody standing up for a single moms. single moms invest numbers being forced into part-time work, forced to work 29 hours a week because of obamacare is a threshold that kicks in at 30 hours a week. somebody stand up for the average working men and women, but i tell you what. this single moms,

african-american teenagers, legal immigrants don't have fancy lobbyists. there is no provision in the past several months i have been more heavily lobbied overs and this expatriate bill. insurance company ceo on the phone with me and senators and lobbyists on the phone all saying look, take care of this provision. i responded very reasonably, look, we can take up in just a couple weeks in january with the new congress, we can take this up and debate it and consider it but if we are making exemptions for obamacare, how about we not start with the richest and most powerful corporation? how about we start with working men and women but working men and women are the ones paying the biggest price. i am sorry to tell you this is a great illustration of how washington works. when it couldn't get hot wind as its own bill, what happened?

it magically appeared on the on the best. in the last minute they knew it would just go right through congress in the dark of night. how profoundly corrupt. if you are a fortune 100 company you should be thrilled because you could marshal lobbies to get a car out for you. but if you are a steelworker out of work, if you are at single mom, if you are a hispanic teenagers trying to get her first job, to start climbing the economic ladder and moving towards the american dream you don't have of high paid lobbyists, this united states senate is not listening to your concern. will you change that?

we need to change that, a special carve out for blue cross blue shield, a very fine company. $15 million and lobbyists this year, it is all fine and dandy that blue cross blue shield gets the car out. what about working men and women? under the harry reid said it you know how many bills we debated on the floor to provide meaningful relief to millions of americans who lost their jobs, lost their health care and been forced into part-time work, they skyrocketing insurance premiums and lost their doctors? zero. not a single one because working men and women don't have $50 million to hire and lobbyists and the corrupt culture of washington listens to lobbyists and not the people. let me be very clear on this. this is a bipartisan ailment. harry reid and the democratic

senate have shed this institution down and ceased working for working americans, but republicans share in that embrace of corporate welfare. enough's with the corporate welfare. god bless big companies that provide jobs. we don't need to provide corporate welfare. how about instead we have fundamental economic reform that brings that growth, helps small companies start and grow and create jobs. how about we stop playing favorites and picking winners and losers and instead how about washington listen to the american people. another provision in this bill, another bit of corporate welfare

is brand usa, a travel promotion company. that is one of the current majority leader's pet projects because it helps promote casinos in his home state. /checked, they did need the taxpayers'. helping them out. didn't need the united states congress serving your hard earned dollars and handing out to promote casinos. another example, the overseas private investment corp. reauthorize in this bill. most people haven't heard of it. over the past few years opec has approved a $20 million loan to help luxury-car is being built in eastern europe. coincidentally the man who owns the company is aid donor to president obama and vice president joe biden. opec also backed hundreds of

millions of dollars for solar farms in south africa. also helped finance the of ritz-carlton in istanbul. it back $150 million in insurance for citibank to open branches in pakistan, jordan and egypt. how is it that one of the largest banks in the world's can't get its own insurance. why should taxpayers take on that risk? they shouldn't. also spread throughout this bill are all kinds of provisions mandating what kind of vehicles the u.s. government may buy for use, how much the car can way, how it must be powered, where the corporation is based and put together, to give u.s. corporations that produce expensive electric cars and

advantage. to purchase chevy volts and teslas instead of other more affordable cars. yet another problem in the lame-duck in a bill we considered earlier today, national defense authorization act. the nba had a lot of provisions, i introduced amendments that were excess of, included in the bill including one that is near and dear to my heart. a provision that finally finally finally allows the 14 innocent souls who were murdered at fort hood to be eligible for the purple heart. it has been far too long that this administration declared that terrorist attack to the work place violence. that was a good provision in the bill, there are other good provisions in the bill but in the last minute a giant chunk of legislation got added to the defense authorization that had

nothing to do with defense. instead he was a giant land grab bandit was bipartisan. democrats and republicans coming together saying let's have the federal government sees a bunch of land. the defense authorization bill added 250,000 acres of new wilderness designations. the defense authorization bill resulted in 400,000 acres being withdrawn from productive use. it added three new wild and scenic river designations, three new studies for additional designation. some of these provisions may have been found on their own but there is a reason they were not brought up on their own. they were not debated on the floor of the senate because they couldn't withstand the scrutiny so instead the way core of washington works, there were stuck on to a defense

authorization that was deemed must pass and the federal government takes roughly a half million acres of land out of productive use by the citizenry. that is disrespectful to the men and women of the military. and diss service we shouldn't be using the defense authorization as a tool for congressional pork. to make an additional data about president obama's amnesty. in all likelihood in a matter of hours or a matter of days the senate is going to pass this massive, port filled nests of a bill, $1 trillion plus amnesty that is paying off lobbyists'

throughout this town. and leadership in both parties, republican leadership in the house and senate have promised this bill is designed for congress to stand up to president obama's illegal amnesty. they said repeatedly that in just a few weeks help is on the way. in just a few weeks republicans will be the majority in this body and we will have a new majority leader. the new majority leader, my friend, senior senator from kentucky said, quote, if president obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, congress will act. we are considering a variety of options but make no mistake, when the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will lack. madame president, i take the

soon-to-be majority leader at his word. speaker of the house likewise said, quote, come january we will have a republican house and republican senate and we will be in a stronger position to take action. the current plan is the most practical way to fight the president's actions. again, i take him at his word. when the republican leader's promise this bill is designed come january and february, a few weeks from now, we will see both houses stand together and make clear that when the continuing resolution expires for the department of homeland security this body will not appropriate money to dhs to carry out president obama's is illegal and unconstitutional executive

amnesty. i take them at their word because the alternative would be that elected leaders were saying something to the american people that they don't believe and they don't intend to follow through on and i very much hope that is not the case. i am reminded of reagan's admonition trust but verify. so i take them at their word but i would note that a whole lot of citizens across the country feel a little bit like charlie brown with lucy and the football. in flight after flight leadership in congress says we will fight next time. not this time. the wise thing to do is fight in a month, two months, three months. not now. it always seems to be with that monroe two month for three months happens, the same statement is made. not january or february, really

march. not that, how about june, how about september. and comes a point when charlie brown has kicked the football and fallen on his rear end one too many times. when our leaders in both chambers say as a commitment we will fight and we will stop president obama's illegal amnesty i take them at their word but i am confident the american people will hold them to their word. the american people might not be so trusting as am i. because they have seen too many members of congress say one thing and do another and we will learn soon enough if those statements are genuine and sincere. we will learn in a few weeks if leadership intends to follow through on the promises they have made over and over again. i would note the course of this

election, republican members, the republican members of the senate campaign all over this country and said two things repeatedly. if youy as we will do everything possible to stop the train wreck, the disaster that is obamacare. and number 2 if you elect us, give as a republican majority in this and we will stop president obama's illegal amnesty. all over the country, that is what republican candidates that and it is the reasons they told the american people to elect a republican majority. my simple admonition to my friends especially the newly elected republicans, is very simple. do what you said. simply do what you said. virtually every republican on this side of the chamber told the men and women in his or her

state if you elect us we will stop president obama's amnesty. we must do what we said because it is profoundly unfair. this amnesty is unfair to millions of legal immigrants who followed the rules, waited years in line and see those who came illegally being rewarded nonetheless by the obama administration. this executive amnesty is profoundly unfair to the 92 million americans who were not working right now. to all the working men and women who are struggling to just put food on the table to feed their kids, this executive amnesty is profoundly unfair especially to the african-american community which is facing a historic unemployment.

if congress acquiesces, if congress does not stand up and assert the prerogatives of this institution to legislate, to pass laws, if congress does not prevent the president from ignoring the laws on the books then we will have ceded our authority not just on immigration but across the field. it is incumbent on all of us to defend the constitution. it is my hope that the senators to take an oath to uphold the constitution will honor that oath morton party allegiance. i would note in recent weeks, no fury than a dozen democratic senators have publicly criticized president obama's in a legal executive amnesty. i welcome that criticism.

it is nice to see that sort of candor from democratic senators. it is cheap, if those dozen democratic senators that criticized president obama's executive amnesty as illegal and unconstitutional mean what they say, the only responsible action is to use our legislative authority to stop it. i would hope democratic policies would put partisan politics aside, even those who agree with president obama's amnesty would say the way to change the immigration law is to work with congress to compromise, you may not get everything you want but we have a system of checks and balances. it is striking, and the simplest

and best explanation for what the president has done came from saturday night live. saturday night live the week after the president's illegal amnesty repriced classic schoolhouse rock. and they had a giant dancing singing bill's saying first i go to the house and then the senate. and becomes a law. on saturday night live president obama walked out of the steps of the capital and pushed the bill, pounded the steps of the capital four separate times he pushed a bill down the steps of the capital and instead, walked an executive order smoking a cigarette as it so happens. simply said i am an executive order. i pre much just happened. saturday night live is exactly

right. the president is ignoring the basic checks and balances of the constitution and trying instead to a decree the law. that is unconstitutional and a portion of this bill that was sent over from the house of representatives funds the department of homeland security to carry out the unconstitutional action. i am now offering and raising the constitutional point of water against division l of this bill on the grounds that it violates the following provisions of the constitution. the separation of powers embodied in the best clauses of article i section i and arbuckle ii section i the enumerated powers of congress stated in

article i section viii and the requirement that the president take care for laws that are faithfully executed as stated in article ii section iii. it is incumbent on this body to resolve those constitutional questions and honor and protect the constitutional authority of the united states congress. >> is the senator raising a point of water at this time? >> i am. >> at this time, a motion to refer is pending barring other actions on the measure. >> madam president. >> majority leader. >> without any objection i appreciate everyone's patience. madame president, i ask unanimous consent 5:00 p.m.

monday december 15th, senate proceed to vote on closure of the motion to concur on the house amendment to senate amendment h.r. 83 >> reserving the right to object, the american people will have great concerns with the president's decision to take action unilaterally with regard to executive amnesty. this is an action that is rather unprecedented and and supported by the law, not withstanding the president's insistence to the contrary. is an issue of concern to a great many people. right now we are being tasked to punt all of our staff -- activity until monday at 5:00 p.m.. i don't see a reason to do this.

i don't see any reason the united states senate should suspend its operations while the american people are waiting for us to act. i don't see any reason we should wait until monday at 5:00 p.m.. i certainly don't see any reason we should agree to move forward then at not have any assurance we should not have any opportunity to vote on an amendment that would impose spending limitation to implement his executive amnesty action. i would respectfully request the majority leader would modify his request and if he would modify his request to assure us we would receive a vote on a spending limitation amendment we could have in connection with the on the bus when we reconvene. >> i am unable to do that.

>> i object. >> i ask unanimous consent. that we adjourn until 12:00 noon tomorrow. following the pledge, and proceeds, the time for this week to leaders to be reserve later in the day, a new leader's remarks, resume consideration and the motion occur, house amendment to senate amendment to the 3. is there objection? >> without objection so ordered. >> let me say i understand the concern of my friend from utah. i am unable to agree with you but that doesn't take away from the sincerity of his request. all senators centered throughout the day on saturday and this is the way it is going to be. appears we have to have a series of votes all day tomorrow starting as soon as we get here

into the evening and perhaps into the morning. if there's no further business before the senate i adjourn under the previous order. we tried our very best to work something out with the consent agreement we spent all night and able to do that. there have been some mixed signals to our members that they are being notified for the last several hours that this weekend, for a lot of people. i am sorry, we're going to have to rearrange our schedules for the weekend. >> the senate stands adjourned until noon tomorrow. >> the senate returns at noon eastern time to continue work on the $1.1 trillion spending bill. most federal agencies through sept.. the government runs out of money tonight at midnight if no action is taken. majority beater harry reid advise members that votes are expected throughout the day and

the senate voted to pass the $577 billion defense authorization bill. they confirmed a series of federal appointments including six ambassadors. live coverage of the senate on c-span2. ..