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Obama, Republicans Test Waters of Compromise

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President Barack Obama is meeting with 16 top-ranking lawmakers from both parties at the White House Friday.

The big question is will the president and congressional Republicans work together on key issues facing our country?
    
The president says he's willing to hear GOP ideas, but he also cautioned that there will be disagreements.

"Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign. I'm pretty sure I'll take some actions that some in Congress will not like. That's natural. That's how our democracy works," Obama told reporters Wednesday.

Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, laid out an agenda for the new Republican-led Congress.
 
"The American people made it clear Election Day they want to get things done, and they don't want the president acting on a unilateral basis," Boehner said.

***Can the president and GOP-controlled Congress work together or is a showdown inevitable? Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., addressed that question and more on The 700 Club, Nov. 7.
    
Boehner promised the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline to bring oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
    
Republican leaders also talked about working to repeal or trim Obamacare and reforming the tax code.
    
But on immigration reform, a very contentious issue, the president says he will take executive action.

"What I'm not going to do is just wait. I think it's fair to say that I've shown a lot of patience," the president said.
   
However, both Boehner and soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warn the president that using executive orders to change the immigration system will be devastating for any attempts at bipartisanship.

"I believe that if the president continues to act on his own, he is going to poison the well," Boehner said. "When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself, and he's going to burn himself if he continues to get on this path."

"It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull to say if you guys don't do what I want, I'm going to do it on my own," McConnell charged.

Before the end of the year, the president is expected to establish a path to citizenship for some immigrants who have been in the United States illegally and act to increase border security.

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general