'Follow the Money' - Spurred by JW, Congress Asks for Probe Involving Obama Amnesty.

'Follow the Money' - Spurred by JW, Congress Asks for Probe Involving Obama Amnesty. HT: Judicialwatch.

Propelled by Judicial Watch, Congress is calling for an investigation to determine if the Obama administration violated civil and criminal laws when it implemented the president’s controversial executive actions on immigration.

It appears that the administration may have violated the Antideficiency Act, a centuries-old statute banning government officials from spending monies that have not been appropriated by Congress.

In the case of Obama’s amnesty measures—known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action to Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA)—multiple federal agencies may have committed Antideficiency Act violations by misspending funds that were not allocated by Congress to implement the contentious orders.

At the center of the storm is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that processes immigrant visa and naturalization petitions. It has a workforce of 19,000 and a $4 billion annual budget that comes mostly from applicant fees.

USCIS has been bombarded with DACA and DAPA petitions yet Congress hasn’t specifically appropriated the funds required to complete the job, which means taxpayer dollars are being misspent in ways contrary to the fundamental purpose of the agency.

In February Judicial Watch called on Congress to request that its investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), launch a probe into the matter. Hmmmm.....The 'power of the purse'. Read the full story here.