Obama Would Not Wait For Congress, To Pass Legislation To Advance His Policy Priorities, 2014

On Tuesday the President Barack Obama said that, he would not wait for Congress to pass legislation to advance his policy priorities this year.

He also said that, he was “getting close” to finishing a review of U.S surveillance practices.

Obama told to the reports during cabinet meeting at the White House, “Foreshadowed his upcoming State of the Union address and what appeared to be a new messaging strategy by emphasizing his ability to take executive actions without approval from lawmakers,”

He said that, “We are not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help that they need,”

He also said that, “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone. And I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions … and I’ve got a phone that allows me to convene Americans from every walk of life,”

Obama again listed immigration reform as a priority for the year. He will need Congress to turn his goals on that issue into law. The president also emphasized his goal of getting the U.S. economy to recover faster.

Obama said, “The message to my cabinet – and that will be amplified in our State of the Union – is that we need all hands on deck to build on the recovery that we’re already seeing. The economy is improving, but it could be improving even faster,”

He said, “And I am absolutely confident that in 2014, if we’re all working in the same direction and not worrying so much about political points but worrying much more about getting the job done, that we can see a lot of improvement this year,”

According to the Boehner (Republican speaker of the House),

“If the president’s serious about wanting to improve the prospects for our economy – and higher wages and better jobs – all he has to do is pick up the phone and call Democrat leaders in the Senate and ask them to move one of these dozens of bills that we’ve sent over there that would help put Americans back to work,”

Obama Would Not Wait For Congress, To Pass Legislation To Advance His Policy Priorities, 2014