Brushing off a planned lawsuit by House Speaker John A. Boehner, the White House said Thursday it refuses to curtail its use of executive actions.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One that the lawsuit, which centers on what Republicans believe is Mr. Obama’s abuse of executive authority, is just another example of GOP obstructionism.
“The president is in no way considering scaling back” his executive actions, Mr. Earnest said. “It’s one thing for Republicans to try to block legislative remedies. It’s another thing to go to court to say that the president can’t act.”
Republicans object to, among other things, Mr. Obama’s use of executive authority to delay or alter certain provisions within the Affordable Care Act. The GOP argues the president too often acts without Congress — a strategy the White House brags about; The administration has dubbed 2014 Mr. Obama’s “year of action,” in which he’s prepared to work around the House and Senate wherever possible.
Despite the lawsuit, Mr. Earnest said the president “remains committed to using every element of his executive authority to make progress on behalf of middle class families.”
Mr. Obama is in Minneapolis on Thursday to host a town hall meeting as part of an effort to connect with average Americans.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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