Jeanne Shaheen's Hypocrisy on Borders and Executive orders - Granite Grok

Jeanne Shaheen’s Hypocrisy on Borders and Executive orders

Jeanne ShaheenJeanne Shaheen is at the front of the line when it comes to the far-left Democrat rhetoric on borders and executive orders. She’s happy to push the false narrative. She got behind Schumer who refused bipartisan reform in favor of political posturing. She even signed on to a bad “immigration reform bill” that could let any parent skirt justice. But where was the sensitive Senator when Barack Obama was caging children and separating families?

A review of her press releases provides the answer.

Prior to Mr. Trump’s election, there are plenty of press releases with the word immigration but most of them relate to office hours and say nothing about policy. There are a few releases about funding DHS. And then there’s this from June of 2016.

“Families shouldn’t live in fear that at a moment’s notice a father, mother or child could be separated from their loved ones,” said Shaheen. “The Supreme Court’s order today is extremely disappointing and demonstrates why having only eight justices on our nation’s highest court hurts our country. This order ignores the clear intent of Congress to grant the executive branch the discretion to establish and enforce immigration policy.

It’s the only mention of separating families that I can find. But look at the context.

Shaheen is arguing that Obama has exclusive power and discretion, granted by Congress, to establish and enforce immigration policy.

A power he used to “separate families” but she never mentions this. (As proof, we have pictures from 2014 that the media tried to link to Trump of kids secured inside “cages” during the Obama Administration.)

Mr. Obama used his exclusive ‘power’ to issue executive orders to circumvent Congress to advance policies that did not exist in the law as written because Congress – which we know has the authority to change immigration law because Shaheen has plenty to say about that when the House blocked what she called bi-partisan reform – failed to change the law to their shared satisfaction. Shaheen applauds this use of Executive power.

But these exercises are never described as using force for partisan gain.

Which brings us to Today’s Union Leader where Sen. Shaheen is suddenly incensed over persons and policies and tactics she ignored for eight years.

“President Trump’s policy of separating families at the border is deeply immoral and has created an ongoing crisis as thousands of children remain scattered across the country, indefinitely separated from their parents,” Shaheen said in a statement Friday. “It’s unconscionable that this policy was carried out without any plans or procedures in place to eventually reunite these families. Secretary Nielsen is responsible for this callous implementation and if she cannot promptly produce a plan to reunite every child with his or her parents, she should resign.”

I can’t find any evidence the Shaheen ever demanded that anyone responsible in the Obama Administration fix the problem that Mr. Trump inherited from his predecessor or resign.

Then there’s this.

The two-term Democrat was a harsh critic of Trump’s executive order charging him with using the policy to try and force Congress to adopt immigration reform to his liking to include financing of a border wall.

Mr. Obama used his exclusive authority to adopt immigration policy to his liking without Congress but that was acceptable because it advanced a position Sen. Shaheen favored.

If Mr. Trump does that Democrats demand justice from the courts whom they praise when they overturn the authority Shaheen declared the right of the previous president.

And once again, Mr. Trump has exercised the authority to which Jeanne Shaheen claims he is entitled. He has made the best of the situation in the context of the law as written. But by asking Congress to do its job – to change the law to their liking – Shaheen calls this forcing Congress to adopt his reforms.

Senator Shaheen has carved out a comfy cozy partisan rhetorical fainting couch for herself. A position from which she offers or rescinds authority based on her political preference. Where Mr. Trump is encouraged to wave Obama’s magicians wand to create law out of thin air but only if advances her preferred outcomes.

Is that not the attitude of a tyrant? Where law is only law when you agree? Where the voice of the people only has meaning when it means what you say? Where executive power exists only when it advances a single partisan agenda?

Ms. Shaheen is not up for reelection this November but plenty of Democrats are and they agree with her. And that is dangerous.

Americans would be wise to keep Democrats in the minority this November and they should thank Senator Shaheen for reminding them why.

 

>