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
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Republicans, lol!
Talk about ruining their party.
Palin/Bachmann/Nugent 2016!
If anyone needs to be impeached and thrown in jail – this is the man.
I say go Obama, best president the U.S. has had in my life time!
The party of No is at it again I see!
That's because the GOP plan to sit there and do 100% nothing but obstruct until Obama's term is up.
Can't run a society that way.
These guys should be jailed for treason.
You people are saluting this crap. Enjoy it when a Republican gets elected and does the same crap. We don't have a king for a reason.
What a child Obama is. He has never even tried to gain consensus or compromise, and then he whines when he doesn't get his way. This is what happens when you elect an inexperienced ideologue.
He should dare repubs to impeach him... and then they should do it.
Wow. It's amazing when you have two major sections of the US government acting like children. Of course too many American citizens buy into this garbage over republican vs. democrat. I have no love for the republican leaders, but it's amazing that a president who's been slapped down repeatedly by the Supreme Court for overreach is still claiming the authority to act unilaterally. It's also amazing that for so many people any problem the US faces can be attributed to George Bush and republicans. We currently face a problem where a president has repeatedly claimed the power to act alone, but whenever there's a problem or a scandal suddenly he had no idea or it's all the republicans' fault. In this specific case immigration is not a new problem. Illegal immigration has been a problem for a long time and multiple administrations have sought to deal with it. Despite that we currently have an administration where their party had complete control of the government for several years. During that time they did nothing to address it. Now our President only controls the Executive branch and the Senate but any perceived problem is caused by republicans who only control the House. Many presidents have had to deal with opposing parties controlling the congress. They didn't whine and deny all responsibility for every single problem that occurred during their two terms.
More (or should I say less) from this worthless do-nothing congress. What exactly are they being paid taxpayer dollars for? They've only manged to fail repealing healthcare over something like 50 times and trying to tank the economy with default.
They can't sue him. But it makes for a great headline.
Anyone ever stop to think that the reason we have such a "deeply divided congress" is because we have a deeply divided country? And regardless of this, the President gets to just side-step the wishes of the very substantial portion of citizens who put the roadblocks in his way?
Obama is totally in the right here, and the GOP is totally in the dark.
Frankly i am sick of all the bickering obstructionist wrangling in Congress.
John Adams said "one useless man is a disgrace, two are a law firm, and three or more are a Congress."
This is bad. Obama's arrogance is out of control. Nice work America!
It's all part of the Republican plan to create jobs (for lawyers).
He says–"So sue me", what a divisive President. We need someone to pull us together not play games of "one upmanship".
We need a change.
"Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff."
If "middle class families" wanted Obama's "stuff" to be done, they would have long since fired their reps in Congress and replaced them who do want Obama's "stuff."
And Obama knows this. He knows a majority don't want his "stuff" and he's doing his best to force his "stuff" on us anyway and do it fast before the people of this country fire his rubber-stamps in Congress.
"It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism."
No, most of what Obama wants to do to us isn't socialism, it's just plain, old-fashioned, authoritarian dictatorship.
"...no laws are broken."
No, i's worse than that. Obama is basically trying to shred the checks and balances of the Constitution. He's trying to make the Legislative Branch irrelevant. And since the Judicial Branch has long since given up doing any real, substantive, judicial review, it does leave an Imperial, unconstitutional, Presidency. And since Obama has twice taken an oath of office that says
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
he's basically violated that oath.
He's no longer fit to be President. He never was.
Keep doing a good thing Mr. Presiden. You did the right thing.
Good for you Obama. At least you take the initiative to make a change for the better!
90's phrase for the win.
What a pathetic bunch of wimps. Boehner trying to stir the base in an off-year election.
Good for Obama for taking this stance, what I don't get is why the republicans are trying so hard to prevent themselves from ever getting back into the white house!
In other words, do it the way I want it done or I'll go it alone. WE are a nation of laws. These laws prevent Illegals from coming & staying here. Enforce the laws Obag!
go get Bo! DO NOTHING REPUBLICANS
SEMPER FI
I love how he pulls no punches with these right wing loons. What a great President.