7th District Congressman Sean Duffy held his first town hall meeting of 2015 Wednesday in Rhinelander.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out at the end of February. Republicans in Congress have moved to stop the funding unless the Obama Administration pulls back plans to stop the deportation of 4 million immigrants not here legally.
The Weston Republican said there are plans to use funds gathered by Homeland Security through fees to keep the agency going even if Congress shuts off funding....
".....there's going to be some issues with can we take the money away? Or did (President Obama) set it up in a way that allows for an internal funding source within Homeland Security? That's crazy in itself, a self-funding agency that is not funded through Congress? This is bizarre stuff. Agencies not elected. Bureaucrats not elected...."
Duffy said there was a bipartisan plan was in place two years ago on immigration reform before it fell apart after elections changed the makeup of Congress.
President Obama has chastised Republicans for threatening national security by not funding Homeland Security and called on them to end their opposition.
On another point, Duffy says he's concerned about an effort by the Obama Administration called "Operation Choke Point". The intent is to target banks doing business with businesses allegedly committing fraud. But more than 30 members of Congress have asked the the Department of Justice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to investigate whether the action is targeting legally-operating businesses that members of the bureaucracy don't like. Duffy says even if you don't like certain businesses, they are legal...
"....and the regulators came into the banks and said, 'do you want to do business with these guys?', we're going to jump down your throat, we're coming after you. So banks stopped doing business with them. Banks stopped doing business with gun dealers. Now,an article says, they're starting to go after churches...."
President Obama's nominee for Attorney General Lorretta Lynch was grilled by Senators about Operation Choke Point, which began in 2013 under Attorney General Eric Holder.
