Boehner: Executive action on immigration reform would be a 'grievous mistake'


House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has been having a rough time of his job lately. He's dogged by rumors that he's plotting Obama's impeachment, he can't corral his party's conservative base, and people won't stop calling him a cry-baby. So, naturally, Boehner is looking to deflect attention by ramping up his criticism of another political man who's down in the dumps: President Obama.
In an op-ed published by Politico on Friday, Boehner called on the commander-in-chief to "do your job" — but specified that he should only do so in tandem with Congress. In other words, no executive actions, especially not on the two issues of the hour: immigration and tax reform. While he touted the House's dedication to the American people, stating "their priority is our top priority," he slammed Obama for backing out of tax reform in 2011 and for considering executive action on immigration.
Boehner condemned the latter in particular, saying it would be a "grievous mistake." He instead pressed the president to fix the immigration system in a "common-sense, step-by-step fashion so that the American people have a say." Unilateral action would the the easy choice, Boehner claimed — and also the wrong one.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read the rest of Boehner's words at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
The new Gwada negative blood type
Under The Radar Rare discovery means a woman is the only person on the planet who's compatible solely with herself
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from