The Republican-led House passed a measure Thursday that would force President Obama to put forth a plan by Oct. 15 to replace the automatic defense spending cuts scheduled to take effect in January, which both parties want to prevent.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued a statement after the vote:
“The White House is responsible for the ‘sequester’ that threatens our national security and President Obama has a duty to tell us how he’d replace it. Top administration officials say the president’s ‘sequester’ would hollow out our armed forces and devastate our military. But unfortunately, our Commander-in-Chief still hasn’t produced a bill – and neither has his Democratic-controlled Senate – to replace these cuts.
“History has taught us we can’t continue with policies that jeopardize our defenses or weaken our economy. That’s why the House already passed a responsible bill that protects our troops and reduces our deficit by replacing the president’s ‘sequester.’ It’s time for the president to lead, outline for the American people how he’d replace the ‘sequester,’ and work with Republicans to avert this threat to our troops and our national security.”
