Obama to Republicans: 'So sue me'
(CNN) - President Barack Obama dared Republicans to follow through on their threats to bring a lawsuit against his administration over his use of executive action.
"Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff. So sue me," Obama said Tuesday at an event in Washington.
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"As long as they’re doing nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something."
Obama’s defiant attitude comes as House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, plans to propose legislation that could bring a lawsuit against him for implementing executive actions that the GOP contends amounts to a breach of his constitutional power by side-stepping the legislative process.
Obama: Boehner's lawsuit is 'a stunt'
Recently, Obama has ramped up his use of executive authority as a way to bypass a deeply divided Congress, avoiding inaction on issues the White House has made hallmarks of the President's second term agenda.
On Monday, Obama said he would start "a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress."
Poll: Can Obama get the job done?
At Tuesday's event, Obama continued to harp on congressional Republicans to pass legislation - this time pushing them to invest in transportation.
Standing in front of Key Bridge, which connects the city's Georgetown-area to Virginia, Obama continued his stepped-up rhetoric hammering Republican for obstructing action in Washington.
Obama proposed a long-term highway construction bill earlier this year that he says would spur job growth.
"It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism," Obama said of his transportation proposal. "It’s not the imperial presidency - no laws are broken. We’re just building roads and bridges like we’ve been doing for the last, I don’t know, 50, 100 years. But so far, House Republicans have refused to act on this idea."
CNN's Mike Ahlers and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.
Related: Obama’s ‘day in life’ offers opening to tout message and slam Republicans
ALL taxpayers should sue repooplickins
Would I lie, you can keep your Doctor.
The GOP plan seems to be to tie up Obama for the next two years. I hope he goes around them w. Executive Orders. Repubs. have accomplished nothing in the last two years. Not one thing.
Boehner is just try to look tuff the Tea Party. A first year law student could throw that case out of court.
obama is having a mental breaakdown.
The GOP has offered nothing but irrational hatred and obstruction from day one. They could care less what happens to the country as long as they stick it to Obama. They have even turned against their own ideas simply because Obama adopted them.
Once again, they brought this on themselves.
Whether democrat or republican they both should keep each other in check. No matter who the president is he needs to follow the law and the other party should make sure of it.
The country is divided... it's that simple. We are a sitting duck, squabbling amongst ourselves... as the lions quietly circle the wagons. I hope you have your bucket list in order.. I hope that the partisan battles were worth America's demise..
You don't see one another anymore, which is why you disgust me. I despise you for your lack of empathy and your love of money. This is the first generation of psychopaths ever produced in the history of this country. Cold, calculated, and completely inept. As you continue to fire your cannons at one another... perhaps you can stop to consider that sinking America; means sinking all of us... Then again, that's too much to ask, because you're just sheep... idiots... worthless fools who want to fight over everything... so you will have nothing! The blind anger of the few will cause suffering for the many... as has been the case throughout history.
Bye Obama...it was nice to know you!
It's our society's fault... just because you 'want' something, Mr. Obama, does NOT mean you automatically get to HAVE it... hence Congress.
It's about time...
God help us all..
Why does the GOP want to help people all over the world (through war) but doesnt want to do anything for the people in our own country?
Go Obama – At least SOMEONE cares about our country here.
I like how the President is standing up to the goofball repubs. Keep doing your thing Mr President. The righties will whine no matter what you say or do, so you may as well do the job they refuse to do.
I guess I can only say good for President Obama. This has been the most do-nothing Congress in my entire lifetime, and that's not hyperbole - it's quantifiable fact. Congressional Republicans have publicly stated their desire to obstruct and malign Obama's goals at every turn. They also repeatedly said their primary goal (their PRIMARY GOAL!!) was to make Obama a one-term president. How can you work with people like that? The people who hate Obama (most of them irrationally so) are going to hate him regardless of what he does, so he might as well try to do some good for the American people who elected him to office twice. As plenty of people have pointed out, President Obama's EOs are far below those put forth by his predecessor. Boehner is a complete joke.
No one is higher than the law.. If he can't work the two parties, then he has no business being president!!
Yes it is the Imperial presidency.
obama makes Carter look good.
Someone please sue Boehner for being an idiot.
Bravo, Mr. President! Shame the do-nothings who delay and obfuscate.
They don't care about America or Americans.
What affect and/or importance is this on your life?
Go get em Mr President!
As a fairly well educated person, I am drawn to ancient Rome. They were the King of Kings. No Roman ever feared harm traveling through the known world because to be a Roman meant if you messed with Rome you were dead meat.
2000 years to now. Rome is now America. When i first ventured out in the World, I was an American and I was unafraid to go almost anywhere in the World and I did.
Today, I am afraid to even go to the Caribbean, which I've gone for years and years. We are not safe out there.
Why??? Let's to be Repubs or Dems. We have thru Vietnam and now the Middle east shown we are incapable of keeping our Word and our Promises to our so called allies. We set up despots in Saudi Arabia. We destroyed the only force in the Middle East that contained Iran and now we are throwing Israel under the bus.
Why should anyone trust us and this is not Obamas fault( which he is partly to blame). This goes back to our broken promise in Vietnam thru today and both Parties are equally guilty. Actually the past admin is the worse culprit
They drove us into a Trillion plus dollar deficit that threw us into the worse depression since the great Crash. Yes there were other things involved.
We have no ne to blame but ourselves for not paying attention to what out politicians were doing to us.
WE FAILED AMERICA AND OURSELVES POINT BLANK.
WORK TOGETHER OR WE SINK TOGETHER.
very well said!
Impeachment is long overdue. Obama has violated our constitution one too many times. It's about time SOMEONE does something to stop him! Thank you Republican party!