President Barack Obama won't reconsider using executive action for immigration reform because some in the GOP are hinting at a government shutdown, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday.
Obama is expected to decide by the end of summer whether and how to use his presidential powers for immigration reforms. Some in the GOP are suggesting they may hold up legislation that must be passed to keep government running.
“I’m interested to see what kinds of ideas my colleagues have about using funding mechanisms to address this issue,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told Brietbart. Ruth Guerra, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said Democrats were fabricating the shutdown talk, as did a Rubio spokesman in a statement that followed Rubio's comments. However, the Des Moines Register quoted Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, saying "all bets are off" on passing a continuing resolution to keep government funded if Obama takes executive action.
Earnest dismissed the possibility the talk would make Obama think twice about taking action.
“It would be a real shame if Republicans were to engage in an effort to shut down the government over a common-sense solution like that. But they’ve done it before, and hopefully they won’t do it again,” he said.
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