--- title: Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: ‘So Sue Me’ description: President Barack Obama lambasted Congressional Republicans on Tuesday for failing to bring up his legislative agenda for votes, adding a taunt to lawmakers who object... canonical: https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-01T19:38:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T08:55:44.891Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: ‘So Sue Me’ og:description: President Barack Obama lambasted Congressional Republicans on Tuesday for failing to bring up his legislative agenda for votes, adding a taunt to lawmakers who object... og:url: https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3657d5bdcb477819/69869a2f35ba6f5f1cc02d94/barack-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Obama Speaks on Highway Trust Fund in Georgetown og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: ‘So Sue Me’ twitter:description: President Barack Obama lambasted Congressional Republicans on Tuesday for failing to bring up his legislative agenda for votes, adding a taunt to lawmakers who object... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3657d5bdcb477819/69869a2f35ba6f5f1cc02d94/barack-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: 'So Sue Me' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=99ba32d3-a418-49a2-8943-aac85a60f330&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=99ba32d3-a418-49a2-8943-aac85a60f330&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=99ba32d3-a418-49a2-8943-aac85a60f330&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jul 1, 2014 7:38 PM UTC  President Barack Obama speaks at the Georgetown Waterfront Park to call on Congress to renew the Highway Trust Fund in Washington D.C. on July 1, 2014. President Barack Obama speaks at the Georgetown Waterfront Park to call on Congress to renew the Highway Trust Fund in Washington D.C. on July 1, 2014. Andrew Hanrrer—EPA by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jul 1, 2014 7:38 PM UTC President Barack Obama lambasted Congressional Republicans on Tuesday for failing to bring up his legislative agenda for votes, adding a taunt to lawmakers who object to his use of executive actions: “So sue me.” Speaking in the shadow of the Key Bridge in Washington to urge Congress to act on funding for the Federal Highway Trust Fund, Obama said the American people have good reason to believe that the nation’s political system is rigged against them. “So far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked or voted down every serious idea to strengthen the middle class—not ideas that are unique to me,” Obama said. “They’re not—you know, this isn’t Obama Bridge. It’s Key Bridge. But the Republicans have said no to raising the minimum wage, have said no to fair pay. They’ve said no to extending unemployment insurance for over 3 million Americans looking for a new job.” Defending his executive actions a week after Speaker of the House John Boehner pledged to file suit against them, Obama promised he would issue more. On Monday Obama announced that he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to present him options for curtailing deportations of illegal immigrants as well as another to ban gender-identity discrimination of federal employees. “And they criticize me for this—Boehner sued me for this—and I told him I’d rather do things with you; pass some laws; make sure the Highway Trust Fund is funded so we don’t lay off hundreds of thousands of workers,” Obama said. “It’s not that hard. Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff.” “So sue me,” Obama continued. “As long as they’re doing nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/"},"headline":"Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: 'So Sue Me'","datePublished":"2014-07-01T19:38:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:55:44.891Z","description":"President Barack Obama lambasted Congressional Republicans on Tuesday for failing to bring up his legislative agenda for votes, adding a taunt to lawmakers who object...","url":"https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/","keywords":["White House","Barack Obama","Transportation"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3657d5bdcb477819/69869a2f35ba6f5f1cc02d94/barack-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke Miller","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3657d5bdcb477819/69869a2f35ba6f5f1cc02d94/barack-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Obama Speaks on Highway Trust Fund in Georgetown","caption":"Obama Speaks on Highway Trust Fund in Georgetown","creditText":"Andrew Hanrrer—EPA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/white-house/","name":"White House"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2946590/obama-blasts-congressional-inaction-so-sue-me/","name":"Obama Blasts Congressional Inaction: 'So Sue Me'"}}]}] ```