Shutdown Showdown: War of Words
In a kind of catch 22, President Obama says no negotiations on healthcare and spending will happen until the Government shutdown ends and the debt limit is raised. However, House Speaker John Boehner says those things won’t happen without negotiations.
FOX News Radio’s Mike Majchrowitz has details on the President’s position from the White House:
The President is sticking to his position that Republicans must act first to end the Government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling if there are to be any negotiations.
President Obama: “If there is a way to solve this, it has to include reopening the Government and saying America is not going to default it’s gonna pay our bills.”
But, the President cracked the door a bit by not ruling out short term bills that could provide the time and space to hold those negotiations.
President Obama: “Absolutely. I mean what I’ve said is that I will talk about anything. What’ll happen is we won’t agree on everything.”
The President also not ruling out language being attached to those measures that would outline a process for that dialogue.
At the White House, Mike Majchrowitz, FOX News Radio.
Meanwhile, John Boehner answered the President in a statement of his own. The House Speaker calling for a vote on the short term funding bill passed by the Senate and urging the President to sign a series of mini-funding measures approved by the House.
Listen below to House Speaker Boehner’s statement in its entirety:
Both President Obama and Speaker Boehner expressed concern about the October 17th deadline to extend the debt ceiling.
