Far Right conservatives are rallying around the possibility of impeachment, if President Obama moves forward with an executive order to effectively offer amnesty to a significant number of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States today.
Rep. Steve King said on Fox News Sunday that if Obama acts alone on the border he will create a “constitutional crisis” that would warrant lawmakers to consider impeachment.
Related: The Immigration Problem We’re Not Talking About
"If that's not enough to bring that about, then I don't know what would be. We've never seen anything in this country like a president that says 'I'm going to make up all immigration law that I choose, and I'm going to drive this thing regardless of the resistance of Congress,” King said.
Conservatives like Sarah Palin have been beating the impeachment drum for weeks. But House Speaker John Boehner assured reporters on Friday that the I-word is “not on the table.”
Still, the White House isn’t ruling out that possibility and says doing so would be “foolish” since far right conservatives have a track record of breaking from leadership. Just last week, Tea Party darling Sen. Ted Cruz met with House conservatives and convinced them to torpedo a bipartisan immigration bill. The House ultimately passed a bill that appeased the conservatives, but doesn’t stand a chance in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
“In the House of Representatives, John Boehner may have the gavel, but Ted Cruz has the power,” White House Adviser Dan Pfeiffer said on ABC’s “This Week.” He added, "When the House takes an unprecedented step to sue the president of the United States, even though he is issuing executive orders at the lowest rate in 100 years, I think it would foolish to discount the possibility.”
Related: Boehner vs. Obama: A Precursor to Impeachment
President Obama is expected to bypass Congress and issue several executive orders on immigration during the August Congressional recess without passing legislation to deal with the crisis.
The actions could include providing legal protections and work permits to a large number of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Obama’s use of executive orders has enraged Republicans and even sparked a lawsuit filed by Boehner on the president’s delay of the individual mandate. More executive orders—especially on the divisive issue of immigration reform—are sure to set off a political firestorm in Washington.
"If the president takes these actions, he'll be sealing the deal on his legacy of lawlessness," Boehner said in a statement. "He'll be violating the solemn oath he made to the American people on the day of his inauguration."
The Democrats’ view is decidedly different, according to The Washington Post. David Nakamura writes, “Though politically charged, such a move would allow Obama to present a sharp contrast with Republicans — who have remained staunchly opposed to loosening immigration enforcement — and cement Hispanic support for the Democratic Party for years to come, supporters said.”
Democrats have been using the impeachment talk and Boehner’s lawsuit as a major fundraising tool. The Washington Post reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $2.1 million on ads tied to the movements against the president last weekend alone.
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