The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to delay or roll back various portions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Almost the entire Republican caucus, including Iowans Rod Blum (IA-01), David Young (IA-03), and Steve King (IA-04), supported the bill, which passed by 271 votes to 154 (roll call). Democratic Representative Dave Loebsack (IA-02) missed the votes in order to attend President Barack Obama’s visit to Cedar Falls. Last week he voted for the Dodd-Frank measure when it was brought to the House floor under a suspension of the rules, so we can assume he would have joined the 29 House Democrats who backed it this week.

Also on January 14, the House approved by 236 votes to 191 a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the 2015 fiscal year, which ends on September 30. During the floor debate, Republicans passed “a series of contentious amendments that take aim at facets of Obama’s immigration policy,” Rebecca Shabad and Cristina Marcos reported for The Hill. Seven Republicans defected on an amendment that would “choke off funding for Obama’s executive action announced in November. Then 26 Republicans voted against an amendment to withhold funding for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, under which some undocumented immigrants are temporarily shielded from deportation. Blum, Young, and King voted with the GOP majority in support of both controversial amendments before supporting the final DHS funding bill. (Based on his past voting record, Loebsack surely would have stood with most House Democrats, who opposed the immigration language in the DHS funding bill.)

I have not seen any lengthy comment from Rod Blum, just this tweet: “Proud to vote to fully fund the DHS today while stopping the President’s unconstitutional executive actions on immigration.” Press releases from Young and King are after the jump. In a video statement, King hailed the DHS funding bill and said it included provisions he has proposed.

Speaking of King, he introduced two constitutional bills this week. His “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2015” would repeal automatic citizenship for babies born in the United States to parents who are not legal residents. That’s been a longtime goal of King’s, but to date Republican Congressional leaders have not shown any interest in moving forward. In fact, King’s previous comments on repealing birthright citizenship are one reason he wasn’t picked to chair the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on immigration after Republicans took control of the lower chamber in the 2010 elections.

King’s other proposal would repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, which authorizes the federal income tax. He has long been a vocal supporter of the so-called “Fair Tax,” which would replace federal income taxes with a value-added tax on most goods and services. It’s a monumentally bad idea.

Press release from Representative David Young, January 14:

U.S. HOUSE VOTES TO STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY, BLOCK UNCONSTITUTIONAL EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States House of Representatives took a bold step Wednesday in turning back an executive overreach by the Obama Administration on the issue of immigration.  The House approved measures in a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that blocks funding to implement recent executive actions that had been deemed by many experts, including the President 22 times before he took the actions, as beyond the constitutional powers granted the executive branch.

“Just last week, I took a solemn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution as a representative in Congress,” said Congressman Young.  “My votes today were to preserve, defend and restore the constitutional powers of Congress by blocking an overreach by the executive branch.  The amendments today defund the President’s unlawful executive order in its entirety.”

Young noted that the debate in the House Wednesday was not about immigration policy, but about Constitutional powers and preserving the governing document of the nation.

“Today was an important step to allow elected representatives of the people to continue working to secure our borders.  Once we have ensured that our borders are secure, I am committed to fixing our broken immigration system by finding common sense solutions that rewards those who follow the rule of law and do not favor those who have broken it.”

The House passed Homeland Security Appropriations measure for this current fiscal year also includes:

Increasing funding for Customs and Border Protection by $118.7 million

Supports the largest operational border force in the nation’s history (21,370 Border Patrol Agents and 23,775 CBP officers)

Bolsters Immigration and Customs enforcement with an increase in funds of $689.4 million in funds over the previous fiscal year

Defends the nation from cyber-attacks with $753.2 million for cybersecurity operations

Reduces taxpayer spending on Department of Homeland Security administrative and headquarter costs.

Press release from Representative Steve King:

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following video statement, right off the United States House Floor, after voting in favor of H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act:

To watch Congressman King’s full remarks, click here.

King press release from January 13 (emphasis in original):

King Introduces Two Constitutional Bills

Washington, DC – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after re-introducing two Constitutional Bills: H.R.140, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2015 and H.J. Res 16, to repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Congressman King serves on the House Judiciary Committee’s Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee in the 114th Congress.

H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2015:

“A Century ago it didn’t matter very much that a practice began that has now grown into a birthright citizenship, an anchor baby agenda,” said King. “When they started granting automatic citizenship on all babies born in the United States they missed the clause in the 14th Amendment that says, ‘And subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’ So once the practice began, it grew out of proportion and today between 340,000 and 750,000 babies are born in America each year that get automatic citizenship even though both parents are illegal. That has got to stop. I know of no other country in the world that does that. My Birthright Citizenship Act of 2015 fixes it, clarifies the 14th Amendment and it recognizes the clause, ‘And subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’ This Congress needs to Act.”

H.J. Res 16, to repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution:

“The federal government has the first lien on all productivity in America,” Said King. “Ronald Reagan once said, ‘What you tax you get less of.’ Right now we tax all productivity. We need to turn that completely around and put the tax on consumption. That is why we need to repeal the 16th Amendment which authorizes the income tax. Replacing the current income tax with a consumption tax will ensure that productivity is not punished in our country, but rewarded.”