Congressional Budget Battle Continues
The budget ball is back in the House Republicans’ court with Senate Democrats rejecting their plan to defund the Affordable Care Act.
FOX News Radio’s Jared Halpern reports from Washington DC:
The Senate counter offer is what’s considered a ‘clean C.R.’ — a short-term spending bill, extending current Government funding through November 15th.
Reid: “This is it, time is gone.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid telling House Republicans the Senate plan is the only bill that can avoid a Government shutdown, triggered Tuesday.
Reid: “Any bill that continues to play political games, will force a Government shutdown.”
The House will begin considering the Senate proposal at a rare Saturday session. But, Republican leaders say changes must be made.
On Capitol Hill, Jared Halpern, FOX News Radio.
Meanwhile, President Obama talked about the budget bill battle during a statement Friday in the White House briefing room.
Listen below to what the President had to say:
President Obama: “The House Republicans are so concerned with appeasing the Tea Party, that they’ve threatened a Government shutdown or worse, unless I gut or repeal the Affordable Care Act. I said this yesterday (Thursday), let me repeat it. That’s not gonna happen.”
President Obama: “So over the next three days, House Republicans will have to decide whether to join the Senate and keep the Government open, or shut it down because they can’t get their way on an issue that has nothing to do with the deficit.”
President Obama: “The Federal Government has a large role across the country and touches the lives of millions of people and those people will be harmed. And even the threat of a shutdown already is probably having a dampening effect on our economy. We saw that the last time these kinds of shenanigans were happening up on Capitol Hill.”
The Press Secretary for House Speaker John Boehner released the following statement after the President’s comments:
“The House will take action that reflects the fundamental fact that Americans don’t want a government shutdown and they don’t want the train wreck that is Obamacare. Grandstanding from the President, who refuses to even be a part of the process, won’t bring Congress any closer to a resolution.”
Tune into your local FOX News Radio affiliate for more on this developing story.
