President Obama on Friday defiantly said he would not apologize for his use of executive power and dismissed House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) planned lawsuit as a political ploy.
“I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something, while they’re doing nothing,” Obama said in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
{mosads}“The suit is a stunt,” he added.
On Wednesday, Boehner told reporters he was readying a federal lawsuit against the president for failures in upholding his constitutional duties.
“What we’ve seen clearly over the last five years is an effort to erode the power of the legislative branch,” Boehner said. “I believe the president is not faithfully executing the laws of our country, and on behalf of the institution and the Constitution, standing up and fighting for this is in the best long-term interest of the Congress.”
But Obama noted, “he didn’t specifically say what exactly he was objecting to.”
It’s believed Boehner’s lawsuit will focus primarily on the administration’s decision to delay requirements of his signature healthcare law, including requirements on certain businesses to provide insurance for their employees or face fines.
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel defended the coming lawsuit.
“The American people, their elected representatives, and the Supreme Court have all expressed serious concerns about the President’s failure to follow the Constitution,” he said in a statement. “Dismissing them with words like, ‘smidgen’ or ‘stunt’ only reinforces their frustration.”
Republicans have also objected to the president’s deferred action program, which grants certain children who entered the country illegally temporary legal status.
Obama said he wanted to work with Congress to pass an immigration reform package legislatively.
“What I’ve told Speaker Boehner directly is, ‘If you’re really concerned about me taking too many executive actions, why don’t you try getting something done through Congress?’ ” Obama said.
“You’re going to squawk if I try to fix some parts of it administratively that are within my authority, while you’re not doing anything?”
— This story was updated at 10:08 a.m.