Longest serving GOP senator: Obama’s immigration order shows ‘shocking arrogance’

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said President Obama is trying to “goad Congress into a fight” by issuing an executive order on immigration.

Republicans have blasted Obama for announcing he’d issue nearly 5 million worker visas to immigrants with U.S. children. Obama said his action was needed because House Republicans have refused to take up a bipartisan Senate-passed immigration reform bill.

{mosads}Hatch said the executive order shows “shocking arrogance” from the president at a time when he should be working with Congress.

“The Constitution does not invite the president to enforce the law — it obligates him to,” Hatch said on the Senate floor Monday. “We’ve got to solve these problems and we don’t do it by literal actions from a president who frankly doesn’t seem to give a darn.” 

Hatch said this latest “executive overreach” undermines Republicans’ confidence that any bipartisan deals will be reached on immigration issues next year, when the GOP will take control of the Senate.