House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday compared President Obama’s planned executive action on immigration reform to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
“Remember, President Lincoln said, ’public sentiment is everything,’” the Democrat said at a press conference, Breitbart reported. “I wish the Republicans would at least give the public a chance to listen to what the president is trying to do.
“And also does the public know the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order?” Mrs. Pelosi continued. “People have to understand how presidents have made change in our country, Congress catching up, and in the case of Ronald Reagan, improving upon what Congress has done.”
Mr. Obama is poised to announce his executive actions on immigration during a prime-time address Thursday night. Reports indicate he will move to grant legal status to about five million illegal immigrants.
Mrs. Pelosi said the president’s announcement will be about “securing the border, holding undocumented immigrants accountable, and again reassuring everyone, making sure everyone plays by the rules, pays taxes, and the rest.”
“This is pretty exciting. It’s bold. It’s courageous. It’s as good as it can be under the law,” she added.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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