During a time of growing peril at home and abroad, it's "reckless and irresponsible" for Democrats to filibuster funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told
Newsmax TV.
"We need to vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security. At a time of growing risk at home and abroad, it is reckless and irresponsible for Democrats to be filibustering funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
"We need to honor the commitments we made to stop the president's illegal and unconstitutional amnesty," Cruz told "America's Forum" host John Bachman on Monday.
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The outspoken Republican said that the
federal district court's ruling last week that put a hold on President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration should force Democrats to capitulate and vote on the Republican bill that they have blocked three times in the Senate so far.
Republicans plan to introduce the bill for a fourth time this week.
Cruz said the court ruling is a game changer.
"It puts Democrats in a very difficult position. If you're a Democrat, how exactly do you tell your constituents you are blocking any funding for the Department of Homeland Security in order to defend an amnesty program that the federal courts have now declared to be illegal?
"That really is an extreme and untenable position. It seems to me we ought to call on the Democrats to stop being partisans," he said.
Cruz said he believes Obama is blustering when he says that a court of appeal will uphold his executive orders on immigration.
"I would point to no higher legal authority than a person who described himself as a constitutional scholar — and his name was Barack Obama — who 22 times said he did not have the legal authority to unilaterally grant amnesty.
"Over and over again he said, 'I don't have the power.' In fact, he said this is not a monarchy. That's how he explained why he couldn't do this," Cruz said. "And after the election, voilà. Magically, he claims he has the power and he ignores his previous 22 statements."
Cruz said that while he understands the president's frustration with Congress in not achieving immigration reform, Obama does not have the right to trample on the system of checks and balances and enact law unilaterally.
"The way it works, you have to compromise. You have to reach middle ground. But President Obama does not believe in compromise, ever, under any circumstances. His view on immigration is he decrees to Congress, 'pass my policies.'"
In addition to undermining the rule of law, the senator said Obama's policies will make the problem of illegal immigration worse. He also noted that the moves do not have the support of the American people, who voted Republicans into the majority in November.
"If someone is working under the Constitution, they say 'OK, let's see if we can come together and compromise.' This president doesn't do that. Instead, what he does is just decree his policy should be followed, regardless," Cruz said.
"It is very dangerous from the perspective of anyone who loves liberty, anybody who believes in the rule of law. If a president has the power to unilaterally make the law to change or ignore the law, then he is no longer a president."
Cruz also discussed his reasons for opposing the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, saying he was disappointed that she did not appear to present a new direction from Eric Holder, whom he described as "the most partisan attorney general we have ever seen."
"Unfortunately, Ms. Lynch, in the entire course of the hearing, refused to acknowledge a single limit on the president's authority under the Constitution. When I asked her in what way she would differ from Holder, she said [in] no ways whatsoever," he said.
If the Senate confirms her appointment, Cruz said, it would be complicit in implementing Obama's refusal to obey federal law or the Constitution.
"If leadership brings it to the floor, the Republican Senate will have put in place an attorney general who will continue the lawlessness and abuse of power of President Obama. That will be a travesty and an abdication of her responsibility."
Meanwhile, Cruz said that the president is to blame for the rise of radical Islam.
"One of the unfortunate consequences of the Obama presidency is radical Islam is on the rise and it's on the rise all over the world. It's on the rise with al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula, with ISIS, with Boko Haram kidnapping schoolgirls. It's on the rise with the Taliban and Pakistan murdering schoolchildren."
He added that our allies are wondering why America has refused to lead the fight against radical Islam.
"All over the globe, we see radical Islam on the rise because America has receded," Cruz said. "Just about every single ally ... when you meet with them, particularly in private, they say, 'Where is America?'"
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