President Obama is turning up the heat on the incoming Republican congressional majority by bluntly telling that nobody is stopping them from passing bills on issues like immigration.
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When asked about immigration on Face The Nation, President Obama said,
The minute that they pass a bill that deals with the problems of immigration reform, I will sign it and it supersedes whatever actions I take, and I’m encouraging them to do so. On parallel track we’re going to be implementing an executive action, but if in fact a bill gets passed, nobody’s going to be happier than me to sign it. Because that means it will be permanent rather than temporary.
So,they have the ability, the authority, the control to supercede anything I do through my authority by carrying out their functions over there. And if in fact it’s true that they want to pass a bill, they’ve got good ideas, nobody’s stopping them, and the minute they do it, the minute I sign that bill, what I’ve done goes away.
Beginning in January, congressional Republicans won’t have Harry Reid to blame for their obstruction anymore. Boehner and McConnell are already blaming President Obama’s executive action for their refusal to pass an immigration bill, but the new political reality is that there is nothing stopping them for passing an immigration bill.
In fact, there will be nothing stopping from passing bills to do what the American people want. Voters overwhelming supporting raising the minimum wage, but McConnell and Boehner have already said that it won’t be happening. The same thing with infrastructure spending and other broadly popular ideas.
Immigration reform is just one example of the new world that Republicans will be entering into when they take the majority. The days of hiding their obstruction are over. Their butts are on the line now, and they have a small window to either put up or face losing their new Senate majority in 2016.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
