Big Business is n't embracing President Barack Obama 's decision to reform the immigration system by executive order , but the community 's top lobbyists are n't joining Republicans in slamming Obama 's announcement , either . They just want the President and Congress to move forward on a permanent solution to fix a broken immigration system -- which they say can only happen through legislation . Three top groups , which have descended on Capitol Hill to argue the economic benefits of an immigration overhaul , said arguments on the President 's authority to shield millions from deportation should take a back seat to passing legislation in the next Congress . Tom Donohue , president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , said that while Obama 's executive actions `` raise important legal and constitutional questions , '' Congress and the President should press ahead toward the goal of achieving bipartisan legislation . `` The debate over the president 's announcement must not be allowed to forestall progress on critical priorities , '' Donohue said in a statement . `` We call upon the president and lawmakers of both parties to enact common sense measures to provide the American economy with the workers it needs at all skill levels , while better securing our borders and dealing with undocumented immigrants . '' The Chamber of Commerce and other business groups joined in an unlikely coalition last year with labor groups to urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform -- a partnership that has helped immigration advocates make headway in Congress . Business Roundtable Senior Director Matt Sonnesyn , who leads the group 's work to achieve immigration reform , said he was hopeful congressional Republicans could move past Obama 's executive action and toward bipartisan legislation by the spring . But Sonnesyn said Obama 's decision to act unilaterally `` certainly does n't help us get to a solution '' and said even after Obama 's executive orders kick in , `` our immigration system will still be broken . '' `` Certainly what the President did last night is n't going to make it easier for everyone to come together to fix immigration , '' Sonnesyn said . `` After some of the initial emotion dials down from what 's happened here , we 'll all be able to look at this constructively . '' That emotion is resounding among GOP congressional leaders and potential Republican candidates . House Speaker John Boehner said Obama `` cemented his legacy of lawlessness , '' Sen. Rand Paul said he `` will not sit idly by and let the President bypass Congress and our Constitution '' and Sen. Ted Cruz called Obama 's actions unconstitutional . Boehner said Friday the House `` will in fact act '' on immigration , but did not give specifics as to how the body would respond to Obama 's executive action . Republicans hammer legal case against Obama on immigration . Business Roundtable , which among other groups , lobbied Congress last year alongside the Chamber of Commerce and the Partnership for a New American Economy to pass the Senate 's bipartisan reform bill , supports most of the policies Obama announced Thursday , but would like to see them in the form of legislation . Sonnesyn said he is hopeful the Republican-led House , which did not take up the Senate 's immigration bill , will work to pass immigration legislation or a series of smaller bills that address some of the key problems . On immigration , a tale of two presidents . One of the key players in that effort will be Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart , a Republican from Florida who has worked to push an immigration bill through the House . Diaz-Balart said he questions the legal authority of Obama 's actions , but said Friday on CNN that he supports `` a lot of the specific things in the President 's executive order . '' And Diaz-Balart appeared ready to move past that question in favor of working toward legislation , arguing that voters ' message in the midterms was a call to end dysfunction and work together . `` I 'm going to try to work with the President or anybody else , whether it 's immigration reform or other important issues , '' Diaz-Balart said . `` I hope we can work through this . '' John Feinblatt , chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy , said the benefits of the policies Obama announced Thursday will ultimately outweigh how those policies came to be . `` You 're going to here a lot of people take issue with the process but in the end I think you have to distinguish between the process and the substance , '' Feinblatt said . But Feinblatt , a close adviser to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , who founded the group , said he is just glad `` everybody in Washington is talking about immigration . '' `` We 're no longer arguing about whether to do immigration , '' Feinblatt said . `` We might be arguing about which branch should lead , we might be arguing about the process , we might be arguing about how you do it -- but we 're not actually arguing about whether this country needs to reform its immigration policies . That 's progress . '' The economic and political imperatives to reform the immigration system will ultimately prompt Republicans to work toward legislation before the 2016 presidential election , Feinblatt said , pointing to the growth of Hispanics and Asians as a share of the voting population . `` Congress Is going to have to get to work , '' he said .
Three top pro-immigration business groups said Congress needs to pass legislation . The top lobbyists said they were hopeful Congress could work on legislation next year . While not necessarily thrilled about executive action , they emphasize working together .