Sen. Grassley: Obama Going Behind Congress' Back On Immigration

By Adrianna McGinley

Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), argued Tuesday that the White House is improperly operating behind lawmakers’ backs on immigration policy.

The senator specifically questioned the motive and intention of a memo released by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in August calling to establish a working group to review the cases of hundreds of thousands of undocumented individuals.

“The Obama policies may be an impermissible intrusion on Congress’s plenary authority over immigration law,” Grassley said during an appearance before Judicial Watch, a “conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, [that] promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law”.

In September, Grassley and 18 other senators sent a letter to Obama requesting the new policies be rescinded and that Napolitano be made available to questioning by Congress. She is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“It will be our chance to conduct oversight over her department and their policies,” Grassley said. “You can be sure that prosecutorial discretion will come up. I also plan again, to express my concern with how this administration is enforcing the laws, and whether they are trying to find creative ways to keep as many illegal people in this country.”

Grassley also expressed concern over a memo released last summer giving “prosecutorial discretion” to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and “gun walking” that took place under Operation Fast and Furious.

Under the controversial Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) operation, weapons were allowed to “walk” in to the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Two of these weapons were found at the scene of the December murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

“My motivation is to make sure nothing like this ever happens again, and get the truth for the Terry family as well as an untold number of Mexican citizens who may be victims as well,” Grassley said.

Watchdog Group Questions Kagan's Qualifications

Robert Hune-Kalter
Talk Radio News Service

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, held a panel Tuesday with hopes of shedding light on Supreme Court Justice nominee Elena Kagan’s lack of experience.

“Would you pick an imminent jurist with years of experience on the bench, known for fairness and application to the law, perhaps, President Obama did not, he chose someone with zero levels of experience,” said Carrie Severino, Chief Counsel and Policy Director at the Judicial Crisis Network.

According to Judicial Watch, Kagan has had very little experience trying cases in court or spending time as a judge and the group said there is very little known about her policies and consider her to be a “stealth candidate.”

“She freely mixes in her legal analysis, ideology, personal opinions, policy, all as if there is no difference,” said Curt Levey.

The panel hopes the Senate will weigh all options and take all factors into consideration before making a decision.

“Our founding father’s never envisioned the Senate being a rubber stamp for the president,” said Brian Darling, Director of Senate Relations at Heritage Foundation. “That does not mean the Senate should be a rubber stamp for whomever the President sends for confirmation.”

Republican Issa Insists On Increased Transparency Within Obama Administration

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The Ranking Member on the House Oversight and Government and Reform Committee Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) called Monday on President Obama and the Democratically-controlled Congress to make government more transparent.

Issa spoke Monday at a discussion hosted by the organization Judicial Watch, a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.

"My committee has been pushing for more transparency," he said. "We can not allow the government to create favorites."

Issa called for an investigation into how the organizations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been corrupted. According to a Judicial Watch report entitled "The Judicial Watch Verdict," the Treasury's decision to bailout Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has already cost taxpayers $86 billion.

Issa also called for an investigation into recent scandals involving the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an organization he referred to as being "out of control."

The Congressman's remarks came less than one week after Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) locked Republicans out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee room by having the locks changed on the doors. As of Monday afternoon, the doors to the room are still locked.