{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=01c07c5d-5fe7-4959-8f87-87b295c62e24", "SENATOR McCAIN ON PRES. OBAMAS EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "John McCain", "M000303", "www.mccain.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u00ad\u2013 U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on President Obama\u2019s announcement of executive action on immigration:\r\n\u201cI agreed with President Obama last year when he stated that taking executive action on immigration was \u2018not an option\u2019 because it would amount to \u2018ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally.\u2019\r\n\u201cI regret that he has reversed his position today by ordering executive action which not only lacks legal justification, but will set back important bipartisan efforts to reform our broken immigration system and secure our nation\u2019s borders \u2013 causes I have long supported.\r\n\u201cThe President\u2019s unilateral action announced today fails to address the root causes of the dysfunction in our immigration system, including an insecure border, the absence of a rational, efficient guest worker program to meet America\u2019s urgent labor needs, and a broken system for legal immigration, which fails those around the world who seek the American dream by actually following our laws. Unilateral executive action also fails to provide a responsible approach to providing permanent relief to those living and working without legal status inside the United States, and harms the chances for Congress to reach a compromise resolving their legal position. Finally, unilateral executive action will only incentivize increased illegal immigration, opening the floodgates to more visa overstays and illegal entries across our southern border.\r\n\u201cAs President Obama has previously said, he is not \u2018a king\u2019 or \u2018the emperor of the United States,\u2019 and he isn\u2019t legally able to unilaterally change immigration law any way he sees fit. Congress has a responsibility to respond and push back on his illegal power-grab. Congress must be creative in using all the tools in our toolbox \u2013 including mounting a legal challenge \u2013 to oppose the President\u2019s action.\r\n\u201cAt the same time, I believe that we Republicans must remain committed to advancing the broad, common-sense conservative agenda we share, and prove to the American people we can legislate solutions and govern effectively. Our nation has big challenges at home and abroad, and Republicans must rise to the occasion to address them.\r\n\u201cImmigration is an issue that must be debated and decided by the representatives of the people, not by executive fiat. I had hoped that President Obama would wait for the new Congress to engage on this issue next year before contemplating any action, but it is now clear that he is more interested in using it to the Democrats\u2019 political advantage in 2016 than he is in working in a bipartisan manner to address this pressing national challenge once and for all.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=01c07c5d-5fe7-4959-8f87-87b295c62e24"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8795228786766529, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}