Fox News: Obama’s Executive Action Will Grow Federal Gov’t Enormously in 2015

HENRY: “The president’s immigration executive actions have set up a showdown on Capitol Hill and in the courts. But none of that has stopped the administration from hiring more bureaucrats to go full steam ahead on implementing the changes. Correspondent Dan Springer looks at the impact of the actions on not only the government’s power, but also its size.”
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SPRINGER (voice-over): “The federal government has put up the ‘Help Wanted’ sign and this shiny building in Arlington, Virginia, will soon be teaming with 1,000 workers hired to carry out President Obama’s executive order on immigration.”
OBAMA: “This is about who we are, who do we want to be.”
SPRINGER (voice-over): “They’ll be needed in the Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency to process the applications of up to 5 million illegal immigrants seeking green cards so they can avoid deportation. Cost to taxpayers: $8 million a year to lease the building and $40 million per a year for worker salaries.”
GOODMAN: “This is once again government usurping power to invest in itself as opposed to invest in America and Americans in the private sector. Again, an immigration reform is something we have to deal with, is something we have to resolve, but the way to resolution in Washington always seems to begin and end with spending tax dollars.”
SPRINGER (voice-over): “The size of the federal government is often a political football. Presidents from both parties have said they can run it better than their predecessor.”
CLINTON: “The era of big government is over.”
SPRINGER (voice-over): “President Clinton did trim the federal payroll. The total number of contract in full time jobs was under 4.5 million when President Bush took office. Then 9/11 happened and the federal government ballooned. The Department of Homeland Security was created and with that the Transportation Security Administration.”
JAMES: “You may not like the fact that this particular executive order at this particular legislation or how those authorities are used, but those authorities are there and I think they’re important to be there incidentally. And you may not always agree with how they were used but we need a flexible workforce that can meet the demands that this country has.”
SPRINGER (voice-over): “But Mr. Obama’s executive action on immigration is unpopular to begin with. A Fox News poll conducted in early December showed 51 percent of Americans disapprove while just 43 percent agree with the president. Republicans who in days will hold majorities in the House and Senate when the new Congress is sworn in, say they control the purse strings and will look for ways to withhold funding for the immigration order.”
SESSIONS: “We’ve got to fight for our future, we fight for our country and fight for the very rule of law that’s made us so prosperous.”
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SPRINGER: “The Republicans have better hurry if they hope to slow this train. Hiring has begun and those jobs will only be added to an executive branch that has already grown by 171,000 employees since President Obama took office.”