Posted on 09/30/2013 2:27:08 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
With just hours to go before a potential government shutdown, President Obama said there is still a window to avert it.
"There's still an opportunity, during the course of this day to avert a shutdown and make sure that we are paying our bills," Obama said in an interview with NPR.
But when asked if any proposal from the House is any closer to something he would approve, Obama said flatly, "No."
Obama spoke to Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep on Monday afternoon at the White House, but down the street, a momentous battle was happening in Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were in a partisan frenzy trying to avoid the first government shutdown in nearly two decades.
At the center of the debate is Obama's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. The GOP-controlled House was trying to stop implementation of the law by inserting language into the bill that funds government operations. But the Democratically-controlled Senate stood firm, saying they will not accept anything but a clean continuing resolution, or a bill that funds the government, but does not include language about Obamacare.
Obama stood with his party members in the Senate. Steve asked if that opportunity to avoid a shutdown exists, what was he willing to offer.
"Steve when you say what can I offer? I shouldn't have to offer anything," Obama said. "They're not doing me a favor by paying for things that they have already approved for the government to do. That's part of their basic function of government; that's not doing me a favor. That's doing what the American people sent them here to do, carrying out their responsibilities.
"I have said consistently that I'm always happy to talk to Republicans and Democrats about how we shape a budget that is investing in things like early childhood education, rebuilding our roads and bridges and putting people back to work, growing our economy making sure that we have the research and development to stay at the cutting edge and that deals with some of our long-term debt issues. But we're not going to accomplish those things if one party to this conversation says that the only way that they come to the table is if they get 100 percent of what they want and if they don't, they threaten to burn down the house."
Obama also told Steve that he would not negotiate on the fate of Obamacare.
"Steve, let's be clear, we're not going to delay the Affordable Care Act," Obama said. "There are millions of Americans, right now, who don't have health insurance and they are, finally, after decades going to be in a position where they can get get affordable healthcare just like everybody else and that means that their families, their kids, themselves, the've got the basic security that you and I enjoy. And the notion that we would even delay them getting that kind of peace of mind, potentially going to a doctor to get treated for illnesses that they currently have simply because the Republicans have decided, ideologically, that they're opposed to the Affordable Care Act is not something that we're going to be discussing."
Stop wasting our time with your bullshti ‘press conferences’, Obama.
you should go to .....................................
Arrogant narcissistic POS.
Only half of us would accept..... a resignation!
Would like to see him in a cell next to OJ
They de-funded the border fence, now 0'care gets de-funded. Perfectly within the realm and Constitutional charter of the People's House.
When libs complain to me about how Republicans refuse to compromise, my follow-up question is invariably, “What are the Democrats offering in terms of compromise in order to stop this shutdown?”
If this shutdown happens, they own it. They think they’ll be able to shift the blame over to Republicans as they tried to do back in ‘95 but this shutdown is the direct result of Obama’s lack of leadership. All he’s been able to do is draw lines in the sand while allowing the Democrats in the Senate to do his fighting for him.
Have you noticed that all wanna-be dictators have a very difficult time with the word “NO?”
It is such a simple word. No means no.
Those who study these things, claim that the average kid has heard the word “no” 45, 000 times before they reach the age of 12 years.
Guess Barry Soetoro was a tad shy in that part of his commie upbringing.
He already has - a few times.
Dictators don’t negotiate.
Of course not. That’s the liberal definition of “compromise.” See also “bipartisanship.”
There’s no sense in the Repubs giving any more than he has.
And make no mistake: it’s not just Repubs, conservatives, and libertarians that don’t want obamacare. It’s America!
Well it looks like he's living up to his promise, he hasent offered anything in five years!
Regards,
GtG
PS What a putz!
How many times has he sad that in the last 5 years?
OK lets have the little boy with finger picture dedicated to Obama.
And the MSM just sits there like little lap dogs and never calls him on it. He might get upset! Makes me want to PUKE!
Let the a-hole shut down the government. Doesn't matter to me! He is such a whiny little *hit it makes him look so small. Why don't you pout too you little prick!
“Steve, let’s be clear, we’re not going to delay the Affordable Care Act,” Obama said.
I guess he forgot about the employer ‘mandates’?!
Obama Administration proclaimed itself a friend of American business by announcing a one-year delay, until 2015, of the “employer mandate” — the provision of its signature health reform law that requires businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to provide health insurance.
“We have listened to your feedback,” Treasury official Mark Mazur said on July 2. “And we are taking action.”
Obama On The GOP: ‘I Shouldn’t Have To Offer Anything’
That’s the beauty of President Purpledrank, the architect of the 5+(and still going) years of recession... he doesn’t offer the American people anything.
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