Sen. Dick Durbin: Obama Will Not Back Down on Immigration

President Barack Obama "is not going to go gently into his last two years," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said Sunday, and he will move forward with an immigration reform executive order if Congressional Republicans don't act on a bill.

"I can tell you the Republicans can't have it both ways," Durbin told CNN's "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley. "For a year and a half we've left on the table in the House of Representatives a bipartisan immigration reform bill to address our broken immigration system."

However, he said Republican leaders "refuse to call the bill or any aspect related to the bill," but still don't want Obama to solve the problem.

But Obama will act, as "he's going to lead, as he is expected to as our president. I hope that [House Speaker] John Boehner and the Republicans will understand at least the message of the last election was to solve problems."

However, Durbin says he's given up on Boehner on immigration.

"If he wants to step forward and make some explicit promise that the House of Representatives is going to move on comprehensive immigration reform now, while we're in this lame duck session, then it's another story," he told Crowley.

Durbin also commented on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to add Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, to a new position in the Democratic Caucus, along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

"I think that Harry Reid, all of us, have confidence that Elizabeth Warren is a great spokesman for our caucus and our party on a national basis," said Durbin.

Turning the discussion to the House's passage of legislation on the Keystone XL pipeline, Durbin said that he's been doing vote counts, and as of last week, "we're one vote short.."

However, there is "every indication" that Obama will veto the bill, Durbin said, and he thinks the pipeline's approval should go through the "orderly process."

"Republicans believe the president's power should be taken away and it [the Keystone approval] should be moved on a fast track," said Durbin. "Remember, the oil flowing through the pipeline is not going to be used in the United States. It will head to the Gulf and be exported to other countries."

However, he does think Obama should "use his authority in a timely way" so a decision could be made soon on the pipeline.

Related stories:

• Reports: Obama Rejected January GOP Offer on Immigration Reform
• Jim Inhofe: I Think Senate Can Override a Keystone Veto