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
Socialism is simply government control of the means of production and the distribution of resources. The US government put pretty tight control on the means of production, and the current administration is taking more and more control of the distribution of resources. So, yes, it is socialism.
Go it alone, make laws without congress, a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court that says he can't make laws without the legislature, continued plans to keep making law without the legislature. It sure as heII is the Imperial Presidency.
All this because of the Presidents skin color.
Can we build the Keystone Pipeline? I know plenty of Union Construction workers who can use those jobs
Good job Mr. President! Separation of powers and checks and balances are good when its being used honestly. What Republicans are doing is trying to keep all the power with their control of congress. They claim that the executive isn't staying within its boundaries while at the same time they're trying to be the executive branch via congress. Progress shouldn't be hijacked by a bunch of hooligans which is what the republicans are.
The American people should sue every last one of you.
His job is to enforce the laws. All the laws. He changes laws at will. Who can trust someone who bad mouths you then will change or bypass laws. He is a bully and a liar.
I give the guy credit...he is showing this country EXACTLY what the problem is...that CONGRESS has been blocking this admin the whole time and letting the POTUS take the heat! I can't wait for the nay sayers to scream about how he can't and blah blah blah. This president no matter what he does is damned....damned when he does something positive...damned when he doesn't do anything...he is in a no win situation....and this one act has blown the lid off why something had to give! Boehner is a major problem and when it is time to go the polls I hope they remember who the real rat was during this. Every Rebube that voted against Vets and increases for them should be out too. well played Obama!
Out the talking heads back in their hole.
Good Job, BO.
Rethuglican's can't or won't.
Obama will.
Stick that in your pipes and smoke it.
The men in the ajckboots are coming. BEWARE America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prez o picked the right brige cuz its key that that be protected from those terrorists. Especially the Canadian one
Obama. The Great Divider.
Suing President Obama by Boener for doing his job in spite of the "just say no" house of representatives will ensure the Democrats retain control of the House and may even give them the Senate, at least in 2016.
He's got a point.
t middle class families. You have destroyed the middle class. You idiot !!!!!!!
I support the effort to beef up the highways and to repair roads.
No worries, we will. You inept Piece of Garbage, P*TUS. YOU WILL NOT RUIN THIS COUNTRY ANY FURTHER, Ob*ma!!!!
To all those TeaPartiers out there – you look like a lunatic when you bash the president as 'king' or 'imperial' – just because your guy didn't get elected. Really, you're not helping your cause. You look racist.
Republicans are very much pulling another stunt. They are completely pathetic. They only appeal now to the dumbest of the dumb and/or the biggest paranoid haters. Unfortunately, in America, that's a size-able number of people today.
I am so sick and tired of hearing about liar Obama and his screwed up administration. I can't wait to the 2016 elections. I hope our country NEVER EVER has a democrat President again!
Question: How are you going to attract new manufacturing jogs when its cheeper to put foreigners to work overseas ?
Answer : Wait until the dollar is so devalued that its cheaper to manufacture back in the States....Brilliant!
Executive order by president for the past 100 years...
Wilson-2092, Harding-881, Coolidge-1203, Hoover-968, Roosevelt-3522, Truman-907, Eisenhower-484, Kennedy-214, Johnson-325, Nixon- 346, Ford-169, Carter-320, Reagan-381, Bush Sr-166, Clinton-364, Bush Jr-291, Obama-168.
note 1-1 term & even partial term presidents have done more EOs than Obama.
note 2-No other president has ever been sued for using executive orders as Boehner and the House Republicans are doing to the current president.
note 3: No other president has been black.
Just the facts.
There are right ways of doing things, and wrong ways of doing them. Our government must follow the US Constitution. The president is not a king. There is no set time table for Congress to pass a bill that allows the president to act on his own. If the president wants the House to act on something, perhaps he should call Harry Reid and ask him to move on some bills the House has passed. The president and Reid do not get to decide everything that is to be law. They must also get the House to approve. The Constitution is clear on who legislates the laws, and does not require them to act in only the direction the president wants. A child thinks he should get everything he wants.
You what gets me if he was a good President he would go down to Both houses and roll up his sleeves and work with both of them.But instead all I hear and America hears is the blame,blame game.I'm not a Democrat or a Republican but I believe in doing things and that means sometimes making friends the hard way.
What an arrogant piece of work this president is.