President Barack Obama says Congress has the ability to act immediately to address the wave of unaccompanied children coming over the border from Mexico into the U.S.

Mr. Obama spoke in Texas after meeting Wednesday with Gov. Rick Perry and other officials about the Central American children entering the country by the thousands.

Mr. Obama says Mr. Perry raised four areas of concern. Obama says he doesn't have a philosophical objection to anything Mr. Perry suggested. He says if Congress passes his emergency funding request, the government will have resources to take some of the steps Mr. Perry recommended.

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Mr. Obama says the problem is fixable if lawmakers are interested in solving it. He says if the preference is for politics, it won't be solved.