One day after President Obama's State Of The Union address, Republican House Speaker John Boehner took it upon himself to invite the leader of a foreign nation to speak before Congress. Boehner did not notify the White House before extending an invitation to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a blatant stab at President Obama's authority and a dangerous and disrespectful break of U.S. government protocol. Boehner is also stepping onto very sensitive terrain, as Netanyahu's visit could jeopardize
Iranian negotiations over nuclear arms.
Boehner claims he made the invitation based upon Obama's State Of The Union speech. In that speech, the President warned Congress not to compromise/interfere with current international negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear arms.
“There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran, but new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails — alienating America from its allies and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again. It doesn’t make sense."
“That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress. The American people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.” -President Obama, State Of The Union Address
When asked why he bypassed the White House and government protocol,
Boehner repliedL
“I did not consult with the White House,” Boehner told reporters. “The Congress can make this decision on its own. I don't believe I'm poking anyone in the eye. There is a serious threat that exists in the world and the president last night kind of papered over it. The fact is there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is from radical Islamic jihadists and the threat posed by Iran.” - Republican House Speaker John Boehner
Apparently, Boehner doesn't feel nine months of critical talks between a
six-nation negotiating group, over the scale of a future Iranian nuclear program, has been
'serious' enough.
Much controversy has arisen from Boehner's move. Netanyahu is scheduled to speak in Congress on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.
Clearly, this is another attempt for John Boehner to demean and override the President, but this time the consequences could be serious. Since taking position as House Speaker, Boehner has done nothing but work to obstruct Obama, in hopes to see the President fail. While doing so, Boehner seems to have little concern for what's best for the American people, even though he likes to tag most all of his statements and agendas with, 'Americans want this…,' as if sanctioned by the citizens of this country. Boehner does not speak for all Americans, and his popularity continues to flail while President Obama's approval ratings continue to rise. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the Republican Congress react to Boehner during Netanyahu's speech. Not only is John Boehner despised by most Democrats, one voter poll reports 60% of Republicans prefer another House Speaker. And a 'large chunk of his own party' attempted to remove him as House Speaker in January, yet he remains, and continues to make asinine moves like this.