Boehner: The House Will in Fact Act

On Friday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reacted to President Barack Obama’s speech before the American people laying out his planned changes to U.S. immigration policy through executive action.

Boehner explained to reporters at a press conference his disapproval of Obama’s actions and vowed to “protect the Constitution of the United States.”

“He was making it impossible to build the trust necessary to work together,” Boehner said. “As I warned the president you can’t ask the elected representatives the people to trust you to enforce the law if you’re constantly demonstrating that you can’t be trusted to enforce the law. The president never listened. And with this action he has refused to listen to the American people. The president has taken actions that he himself has said are those of a king or an emperor, not an American president. And he is doing this at a time when Americans want nothing more than both parties to focus on solving the biggest problems in our country, starting with our still struggling economy. And the action by the president yesterday will only encourage more people to come here illegally and putting their lives at risk.”

“We saw the humanitarian crisis at our border last summer is — how horrific it was,” he added. “Well next summer it could be worse. And this action also punishes those who have obeyed the law and have waited their turn. With this action the president has chosen to deliberately sabotage any chance of enacting bipartisan reforms he claims to seek. As I told the president yesterday, he is damaging the presidency itself. President Obama has turned a deaf ear to the people that he was elected and we were elected to serve. But we will not do that. In the days ahead the people’s house well rise to this challenge. We will not stand idle as the president undermines the rule of law in our country and places lives at risk. We’ll listen to the American people. We’ll work with our members and we will work to protect the Constitution of the United States.”

Later Boehner was asked if and how the House might respond to Obama.  Boehner offered no details, but did offer an assurance.

“We’re working with our members and looking at the options that are available to us but I will say to you, that the House will in fact act,” he said. 

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