The president remains optimistic about immigration reform and the "progress" with the Republican Party, but he would not confirm whether he would veto a bill that did not include a pathway to citizenship.
"I'm not going to prejudge what gets to my desk," President Barack Obama told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired Friday.
Continue ReadingThe president also said he believes "we have a good chance" of getting immigration reform, but said more can be done if Congress can break through some of the gridlock.
He also reiterated that he supported the Senate bill, which included a "very long" process to earning citizenship.
Obama said he was encouraged by both Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other House Republicans, naming Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who he said "really do want to get a serious immigration reform bill done."
"They've been willing to say what they're against, not so much what they're for," the president said of the House Republican Caucus.
(Also on POLITICO: House leaders sell immigration blueprint)
"The fact that they're for something, I think, is progress," he added.
He praised Boehner and others who he said "seem to recognize" that coming to some agreement on those who were born in the country, but don't have the right papers, are not punished would make the country stronger.
The president also said that immigration reform needs to be a "serious conversation" that also includes those who stand to be directly affected by it, adding that the top concern for many families is deportation.
With the growing concern of the security and possible threats at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, the president did not discourage people from traveling to the games, but acknowledged the risks.
"I would say … that if you want to go to the Olympics, you should go to the Olympics," the president said.
Obama added that there are always risks involved with events like these, citing the Boston Marathon bombing last April. He said it is also important for those traveling to get in contact with the State Department and be aware of any measures to take.
He said he will always feel better when this type of event is held within the U.S. because "we have full control over what happens," but he added have "good sense" of the security to protect both visitors and athletes and that Russian authorities "understand the stakes."
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