Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., continued on Thursday to speak out against immigration views held by President Barack Obama's attorney general nominee, saying that he will not vote for and Congress should not confirm someone who will support and execute an "illegal and unconstitutional" policy, reported CNSNews.
Attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch said during her confirmation hearing at the Capitol on Wednesday that she believes Obama's immigration reform is perfectly constitutional.
In disagreement, Sessions told CNSNews on Thursday, "This is ... an incredible constitutional overreach. And Congress is not a potted plant, it needs to defend itself, it has certain powers that it should use to block this wrongdoing. One of those powers is confirmation power, so why would we want to confirm someone who's going to continue to execute an unlawful, unconstitutional policy?"
"I don't think that we should feel obligated to confirm someone who stated in the hearing that she intends to continue those policies. Why would we want to confirm someone who's going to continue to execute an unlawful, unconstitutional policy?"
During Wednesday's confirmation hearing, when Sessions asked Lynch if she believes illegal aliens have a right to work, Lynch said she believes everyone in the U.S., regardless of how they came here, has a right and obligation to work.
Lynch later clarified her remarks, saying she "was making a personal observation based on work ethics passed on by my family, not a legal observation."
Sessions told CNSNews that Lynch's initial answer "revealed her thinking."
"They got scared about that because American people begin to see just how broad their view is on this issue," Sessions said. "She refused to say that she would not take legal action against an employer who gave preference to lawful workers over ... workers with an Obama card."
But the president "goes beyond saying well I don't have enough [resources]," said Sessions. "I'm using prosecutorial discretion about who gets deported to the point where he says I'm giving up to 5 million people work authorization, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, an ID card [to individuals] who under the law are here unlawfully."
"There is no question about" whether illegal immigrants have the right to work in the country, Sessions insisted.
"The law says they don't, and it explicitly says an employer can't hire someone who's illegally here."
