Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, the new Speaker of the House promised Chuck Todd that he would not introduce or advance “comprehensive immigration reform” while Barack Obama remained president. Obama, Ryan said, had been “proven untrustworthy on this issue” by trying “to go around Congress with an Executive Order to rewrite laws unilaterally.” As such, he could not be relied upon. “Presidents,” Ryan noted, “don’t write laws. Congress writes laws.”
Ryan left open the option of a bill tailored specifically toward border security — “if we believe and have consensus on things like border enforcement and interior security,” he suggested, “then that’s fine” — but made it clear repeatedly that anything more substantial would have to wait. When pressed, Ryan acknowledged that he personally has liberal instincts in this area. Nevertheless, he left no wriggle room in his remarks. ”We won’t bring immigration legislation with a president we cannot trust on this issue,” he confirmed.