President, Daring Congress, Moves to Overhaul Immigration

[link to mobile.nytimes.com]


President Obama chose confrontation over conciliation on Thursday as he asserted the powers of the Oval Office to reshape the nation’s immigration system and dared members of next year’s Republican-controlled Congress to reverse his actions on behalf of millions of immigrants.

In an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House, Mr. Obama displayed years of frustration with congressional gridlock and a desire to frame the last years of his presidency with far-reaching executive actions. The president’s directive will shield up to five million people from deportation and allow many to work legally, but will not give them a path to citizenship.

“The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every Democratic president for the past half century,” Mr. Obama said. “To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.”

Last Edited by Uncle Fuck Stick on 11/20/2014 08:17 PM