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."
Even though I am 100% in favor of seeing Obamacare refunded, it would be hilarious if Boehner had a press conference in front of the Capitol where he stated “Me and my Republican brethren in Congress are prepared to avert this shutdown under the condition that the President, his administration, and all Democrats in Congress sign up for health coverage under the President’ s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act.
Part of me firmly believes that, if, by some weird twist of fate, Obamacare was proven beyond all doubt to the whole of the American people and tossed into the garbage heap of history where it belongs... Obama would try to finagle primary credit for its repeal.
Me and my Republican brethren in Congress are prepared to avert this shutdown under the condition that the President, his administration, and all Democrats in Congress sign up for health coverage under the President s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act.”
PERFECT!!!
Narcissism on steroids.
"I have said consistently that I'm always happy to talk to Republicans and Democrats about how we shape a budget...
The CR is not a normal form of government business. The CR is not even a budget. It is an anomoly that keeps the government running when there is no budget. There hasn't been a formal budget in over 5 years.
Now, that means the government is operating illegally. Forget the 0bamacare issue, there is a FACT in the room that everyone is ignoring. No budget exists for the CR to attach too.
The msm would make sure of it!
I believe Republicans should dress like this and ask Obama to meet them in Tehran to negotiate
He has the view that the purpose of the legislative branch of our government is to bestow favors on the executive leader.
Honestly, I know it's déclassé to mention such in the world of internet decorum, but it's unavoidable.
This is the EXACT way Hitler viewed all institutions in Germany once he became the executive.
It's a hellaciously dangerous perspective in a political leader.
He’s happy to talk to the people who are obstructing the government by giving him 90% of what they claim that they want?
Five years and those roads and bridges still aren't rebuilt? What about that trillion dollar stimulus?
[This post has been deleted, before it was actually posted.]
Hey Barry...
Eat **** and bark at the moon.
I guess that whole “spirit of bipartisanship” thing was utter bullcrap wasn’t it, Barry?
Obama’s idea of compromise is “everyone else compromises their principles to give me what I want.”
You’re a president, not am emperor, doofus. Lean the difference, mister “constitutional scholar”.
Obamacare was/is a bait and switch.
Promised.. Lower costs..reality, Cost going waaay up.
Promised.. You can keep your plan if you want......No, many Co. bailing out.
Promised.. Will cover millions more..no, Est. 25 mil won’t be covered.
Promised.. Will stimulate economy..no., The opposite is happening.
Companies shedding workers, cutting hours to avoid the
extra expense.
Promised..Congress and Federal workers will be under the plan..no, he has
exempted Congress and all the ancillary employees.
He has handed out exemptions like candy to his favored groups.
The rest of us saps getting stuck with the bill.
bump
YES!
Obama is just one of those people that always makes the wrong choice. In every thing he does. Always the wrong choice. Had a manager like that once and I could not figure him out for the life of me. All I knew was that every time he had to make a decision, it was always the wrong one.
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.”
So the half the country that is against this monster
means nothing, they’re just being “ideological”?
I get it.
Democrats = people
Republicans = ideologues
Only an ideologue would say that.
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