Republicans in Congress will respond to President Barack Obama's anticipated executive order on immigration, said Sen. Bob Corker, but he cautioned lawmakers against getting into a "personality issue" with the president.
Corker told Fox News'
"America's Newsroom" that Republicans should keep their focus on the opportunity they have with a majority in Congress to pass legislation.
"We need to respond, but we also need to keep our eye on the fact that our job over the next two years is to pass policies that make this nation stronger.
"And, we need to keep this in that context," the Tennessee Republican said Thursday. "This president would relish in us getting into a personality issue."
Obama was exhibiting his weakness by taking a unilateral approach toward immigration, rather than working in a leadership role with Congress to find solutions, Corker said.
"He's incredibly weak. And, candidly, is doing these things because he doesn't have the ability to lead, and is not willing to put the effort out, by the way, to do the work to actually cause things to pass in Congress," he said.
While Obama would "love for this (immigration issue) to be about him," Corker said Republicans instead should "make this about our nation," adding that he feared the president would repeat the same approach and "unilaterally decide to suspend the sanctions" in negotiations with Iran over their nuclear program.
"People on both sides of the aisle understand how weak the president is and how he's wanting some kind of significant foreign policy, when he's had so many losses," he said.
"They're concerned that he's willing to give away things that should not be given away."
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