Levin: Republicans Can Withhold Funding to Stop Exec Amnesty


Carl Levin / AP


BY: Caroline Lee Smith
November 18, 2014 4:22 pm

With President Obama’s administrative amnesty hanging in the balance, Democratic Sen. Carl Levin (Mich.) pointed out that Congress has the ability to stop it.

Congress can withhold funding for any presidential initiative–and it would not be the first time it has happened, the National Review reported.

“It happens all the time,” Levin said. “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.”

With that in mind, Levin said there is no need for another government shutdown, as Congress already has the ability to withhold funding. National Review reports:

Republican lawmakers are debating whether to pass legislation funding government for the whole year or for a shorter term. Sen. 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.

http://freebeacon.com/politics/levin...-exec-amnesty/