Congressman Cohen Condemns Unreasonable and Dangerous Trump Executive Orders

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), after reviewing President Donald Trump’s first executive orders released today, focused his immediate attention on new federal government policies on militarizing the southern border with Mexico, ending the 14^th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship, and offering pardons and commutations to the January 6 rioters. 

Congressman Cohen made the following statements:

“Within minutes of being sworn in, Donald Trump reaffirmed the depth of his disdain for the rule of law and his uncontrollable authoritarian impulses.  He is using imaginary emergencies to invoke extraordinary powers to ignore the law and circumvent the people’s representatives in Congress.  It was dangerous and anti-democratic when he tried these tactics during his first administration, and today’s more extreme versions pose an even more significant threat to the Constitution.  

“In the past several Congresses, I have worked diligently in a bipartisan manner, under both Democratic and Republican Presidents, to reform the National Emergencies Act and prevent such abuses of power.  I sincerely appreciate the partnership and leadership of Congressman Chip Roy in the House of Representatives and Senators Mike Lee and Richard Blumenthal in the Senate.  Our bill would automatically end national emergencies after 30 days unless Congress votes to extend them.  No President, regardless of party, should have this unilateral power.  

“Mass deportations are immoral and ill-advised. Trump has no mandate to do this. Some living in our country without authorization are productive members of our society, who pay taxes, and have families. They are our neighbors and friends. Our kids go to school together. This heartless and cowardly spectacle will backfire and, when it does, perhaps courageous statesmen can stand up, treat one another with respect, and address the underlying issues. Immigrants play an integral role in our community and economy. We should come together and work on comprehensive, compromise, bipartisan immigration reform that recognizes our heritage as a nation of immigrants.

“The January 6 rioters, especially those whose violent clashes with law enforcement personnel resulted in serious injury, are undeserving of our sympathy and certainly undeserving of these callous and cynical pardons and commutations. These are people, some convicted felons, who attacked police, desecrated our Capitol, and tried to violently interfere with the transfer of executive power. While Donald Trump should be held responsible for inciting their assault on our Capitol, they too are culpable for their actions. Making heroes out of traitors and violent individuals undermines our democracy and makes a mockery of our justice system.

“The nation fought a civil war to establish the Fourteenth Amendment and its sacred guarantee that every person born in the United States is free and a citizen of our great nation. The Constitution is the supreme law of our land, and no matter how much he rages, Trump’s pen can’t overcome that. This is demagoguery dressed up in legalism. It is blatantly unconstitutional and is another demonstration that Donald Trump thinks he is above the Constitution.  He is not. Those born in the United States are citizens, period.”

# # #