"Hysteria." That's what New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the talk among some GOP lawmakers in Washington to shut down the government if President Barack Obama uses executive action to ease immigration laws.
According to Christie, federal legislators who are threatening a shutdown are "people looking to make news," adding that it is "incumbent upon everyone in Washington, D.C., to do their job,"
Politico reports.
Christie made his comments at the opening of the annual Republican Governors Association in Boca Raton, Florida, on Wednesday. Christie is the outgoing chairman of the RGA.
Most GOP governors appeared to agree with Christie on the government shutdown issue, according to Politico.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Republican lawmakers should use the "power of the purse" to counter Obama's executive actions, but not until the GOP officially takes control of both chambers of Congress in 2015, Politico reported.
"Should the president decide to exercise executive authority and overturn American immigration law," the budget should be used by Republicans to "prevent the implementation of policies to follow the law," Pence said.
Another option for governors, said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, would be to file a lawsuit against the Obama administration, Politico said.
"I know that the speaker has talked about, for example, potentially a lawsuit; other Republicans have talked about other measures," Jindal said, according to Politico.
"We should do whatever it takes to follow the law, but I don't think the president should shut down the government," the Louisiana Republican said.
Jindal added, "This president, if he wants to change the law, he should go to Congress, get a bill passed, work with the House and the Senate ...," actions Jindal says Obama could easily have done in his first two years in office when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, Politico reported.
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