Talks about President Barack Obama's imminent immigration reform executive action followed him to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Australia.

During a press conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center, Obama defended the overall usage of an executive action. The president acknowledged he has taken fewer executive actions than previous presidents.

In regards to current responses to Obama issuing an executive action, he said, "What I think has changed is the reaction of some of my friends in Congress to exercising what are normal and, frankly, fairly typical exercises of presidential authority."

Obama noted any of his previous or future executive actions could be reversed by his successor, regardless of political party affiliation.

"If President [George W.] Bush had a bunch of executive actions that he had signed, it was part of my authority to reverse them. That's why, for example, on immigration reform it continues to be my great preference to see Congress pass comprehensive legislation, because that is not reversed by a future president, it would have to be reversed by a future Congress," Obama said.

The president said he has shown "extraordinary patience" with the current Congress in hopes bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform would be passed. He referred to the bipartisan U.S. Senate immigration reform legislation as a sign of encouragement, but Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, has not picked up the bill for the House of Representatives to debate and vote.

"But as I've said before, I can't wait in perpetuity when I have authorities that, at least for the next two years, can improve the system, can allow us to shift more resources to the border rather than separating families; improve the legal immigration system," Obama said. "I would be derelict in my duties if I did not try to improve the system that everybody acknowledges is broken."

Obama commented on the odds of a government shutdown. Republican lawmakers have suggested a government shutdown could take place if Obama issues an executive action. Newly elected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the government will not shut down due to immigration or economic debates. At the G20 summit, Obama said he believes McConnell's statement on not shutting down the government, as it had a negative effect on the country and also elected officials.

Obama reassured there is no anxiety on his timeline to issue an executive action.

"I think the main concern I have is making sure that we get it right, and that's what we're focused on at this point, because any executive action that I take is going to require some adjustments to how DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, operates where it's deploying resources, et cetera; how are folks processed; what priorities are set up," Obama said. "And so I want to make sure that we've crossed all our T's and dotted all our I's -- that that's my main priority."

"I will repeat what I have said before: There is a very simple solution to this perception that somehow I'm exercising too much executive authority," Obama said. "Pass a bill I can sign on this issue. If Congress passes a law that solves our border problems, improves our legal immigration system, and provides a pathway for the 11 million people who are here working in our kitchens, working in farms, making beds in hotels, everybody knows they're there, we're not going to deport all of them."

Obama said the undocumented immigrants should be able to pay their taxes, pay a penalty and "get it right with the law." Obama said he would "crumple up" his immigration executive action once Congress passes a bill he may sign.

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