This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

President Barack Obama on Tuesday defiantly mocked a lawsuit being brought against him by one of his chief Republican opponents, summarising his reaction to claims of presidential overreach as: "so sue me".



The Republican speaker of the House, John Boehner, announced last week that he planned to file a lawsuit to challenge Obama over his alleged misuse of presidential powers.



Republicans have long complained that Obama is overstepping his authority by acting unilaterally, rather than with Congress, on issues as varied as Guantánamo Bay, changes to Obamacare and immigration enforcement.



During a brief speech on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, Obama dismissed his critics, saying Republican obstructionism left him no alternative, and singling out the House GOP conference as a block to any legislative action.



"They criticise me for this?" he said. "So sue me. As long as they're doing nothing, I'm not going to apologise for doing something."



Obama made the remarks in front of Washington's Key Bridge, the scene of an imminent construction project – one of thousands of road infrastructure projects his administration says it would invest in if it could get Republican backing to do so.



The federal Highway Trust Fund, which supports construction projects across the country, will expire at the end of the summer unless it is reauthorised by Congress. The White House wants to pay for the fund, which it claims would enable 700,000 jobs, by closing corporate tax loopholes.



Republicans equate that to a tax hike, but have not ruled out finding other ways to pay for the road-building and maintenance scheme. The president accused them of being more interested in protecting unfair advantages enjoyed by America's rich.



Obama often gives addresses about the economic hardship suffered by everyday Americans – typically during trips outside of the Beltway that also feature after-dinner speeches to an array of rich Democratic donors.



In his speech on Tuesday, the president adhered to his familiar script; the economy is improving, he said, but not fast enough. Obama has for months been saying that growing inequality of opportunity is undermining the American dream, but his administration has been unable to persuade Republicans in the House to seek any substantial legislative remedy.



His critics argue his penchant for grand speeches is rarely matched by a concerted effort to forge compromise with his opponents on Capitol Hill.



Unemployment remains stubbornly high at 6.3%, and repeated attempts by Democrats in Congress to pass a bill to restore unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and increase the federal minimum wage have failed.



Obama was speaking on during the week of the Fourth of July, when millions of Americans will take to the roads. "Soon, states may have to choose which projects to continue and which to put the brakes on because they are running out of money," Obama said.



The president said almost every other advanced industrial money spends a greater portion of its budget on basic infrastructure projects.



"Its not crazy. It's not socialism," he said. "It is not the imperial presidency."



Calling on Republicans to commit to funding infrastructure projects, he said: "It is not like they've been busy doing other stuff."



When the crowd laughed, he added: "No, seriously! They're not doing anything. Why don't they do this?"