Barry Loudermilk

Mr. LOUDERMILK

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Brooks).

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for those passionate words. Mr. Speaker, I now yield a portion of my time to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mooney), my freshman colleague.

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as you can tell, we have people from all over this great Union that have risen here today to speak, not just from the South. I would like to yield a portion of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett), my great friend.

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all of the comments that have been made here today. As you can tell, this is not a party issue. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or conservatives. This is about our Constitution. This is about American principles and the rule of law, but, more importantly, it is about fairness. It is about the American Dream. It is about those who are working hard every day. It is about the children and our future. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the beautiful State of Arizona (Mr. Franks).

Mr. LOUDERMILK

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 65 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. LOUDERMILK

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time. Mr. Speaker, John Adams, as President of these United States, stated: Our Constitution is for religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. What John Adams was referencing is that our Constitution is only as solid--it is only as resolute--as the willingness of the people to uphold the limits of its power. What has sustained the United States of America as the longest continual constitutional republic in the history of the world is our commitment to recognizing and our respecting the limits of power inscribed in this Constitution. A clear and distinct division of those powers among the three separate branches of government is what we have all sworn to uphold. The President through his recent executive orders has seized the constitutional authority of the United States Congress. Mr. Speaker, while this bill does not bring an immediate end to the President's pattern of executive overreach, it does, within the rule of law, begin to restore the constitutional authority of this governing body.

Mr. LOUDERMILK

Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 3, I missed the vote yesterday. I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''