WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Thursday that he thinks many House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), want to pass immigration reform and other measures -- they're just getting blocked.
"I actually think there are a bunch of Republicans who want to get stuff done," Obama told MSNBC's Chris Matthews on "Hardball," according to a transcript. "They've gotta be embarrassed. Because the truth of the matter is that they've now been in charge of the House of Representatives ... for a couple of years now. And they just don't have a lot to show for it."
Obama brought up the point while talking about immigration reform, which passed the Senate earlier this year but has yet to get any votes in the House. Boehner has said it is still a priority and that the House will work on the issue next year. Obama said he is optimistic, and thinks "Boehner is sincere about getting it done."
But Obama told Matthews there are some GOP members still standing in the way.
"The only thing that's stopping it, at this point, is what I mentioned earlier, a faction in the House Republican Party that is resistant," he said. He added later, "I think that there's so much focus on the politics of the base and Republicans being worried about getting challenged during the primary season that that inhibits a lot of cooperation that is there."
Boehner insisted last month that there was still time to complete immigration reform, even though it won't be until next year.
"Is immigration reform dead? Absolutely not," he said at a press conference.
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