Rep. Tony Cardenas on Sunday defended President Obama against charges that he betrayed Hispanic voters when he decided to delay executive action on immigration until after the midterm elections.
Cardenas, a California Democrat, conceded that Hispanics were frustrated with Obama and disappointed with his decision. But the congressman blamed House Republicans, who have blocked consideration of a bipartisan immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year, for “forcing” Obama into the position of having to take potentially unpopular unilateral action to legalize a portion of the 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S.
Cardenas offered his views during an interview with CNN’s Candy Crowley during the public affairs program “State of the Union.”
“We all are frustrated with him right now because he’s taken way too long to take his executive actions. But unfortunately, Candy, it’s really been the disgusting, do-nothing Congress that has actually forced his hand to have to even contemplate taking executive actions, so I think the first blame is with Congress not dong it’s job,” Cardenas said.
Cardenas added: “Of course there’s some politics going on. I don’t like what the president’s advisers may be telling him. I can only speculate that they’ve encouraged him to wait, but I would prefer that he do it now. There are 11 million people here in the shadows here in the United States.”
