John Boehner warns Obama not to take executive action on immigration

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on Thursday warned President Barack Obama not to take executive action on immigration or else he takes "the risk of burning" himself.

In a televised address the day after Election Day — when Republicans took control of the Senate — Obama said he considered immigration reform an inevitability. He said the new Congress would be offered the opportunity to draft and pass a bill, though, before he considers taking executive action on the topic.

Boehner strongly warned Obama against taking any executive action.

"When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself," he said. "And [Obama] is going to burn himself if he continues to go down this path. The American people made clear on Election Day they want to get things done, and they don't want the president to act on a unilateral basis."

Boehner said the Republican party has five priorities: "fix our broken Tax Code, address the debt that's hurting our economy and imprisoning the future of our kids and grandkids, reform our legal system, reshape our regulatory policy to make bureaucrats more accountable, and give parents more choices in a system that isn't educating enough of America's children."

"I've made clear to the president that if he acts unilaterally, on his own, outside his authority, he will poison the well, and there will be no chance for immigration reform moving in this Congress," he added.

Obama is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders from both parties on Friday, the first since the GOP took control of the Senate.