President Barack Obama didn't outline any plans to "go it alone" on White House priorities in his State of the Union address, but an aide promises the commander in chief's last year in office will be one of "audacious executive action."
Speaking at a breakfast with reporters Tuesday ahead of the speech, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough sidestepped on which issues Obama would press ahead on if Congress fails to act,
National Review reports.
But the pledge follows
Obama's unilateral actions designed to expand background checks for gun purchases.
"We'll do audacious executive action over the course of the rest of the year, I'm confident of that," McDonough said, adding Obama's decision not to outline specific executive actions in his State of the Union speech didn't indicate a lack of willpower, National Review reports.
It's to ensure that whatever executive action is taken, it'll stick.
"Process is your friend, but process also dictates what you can do," McDonough said.
"And we do want to make sure that the executive actions we undertake are not left hanging out there, subject to Congress undoing them."
National Review notes the White House has expressed interest in further unilateral actions on immigration reform, and in working around Congress to
close the prison in Guantanamo Bay.
But the president sees no limits ahead.
Obama recently told his staff he's going to demand everything they do in 2016 be "infused with the sense of possibility that has both undergirded this administration, but also this country," McDonough said,
The Hill reports.
The president also said, "I am going to be asking myself, 'why not?' " according to McDonough.
"And so that's the spirit through which we'll approach this last year," the chief of staff said.
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