House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) wrote in a USA Today op-ed published Tuesday that the first federal government shutdown in 17 years lies squarely at the feet of President Barack Obama.
“The president isn’t telling the whole story when it comes to the government shutdown,” the speaker wrote. “The fact is that Washington Democrats have slammed the door on reopening the government by refusing to engage in bipartisan talks. And, as stories across the country highlight the devastating impact of Obamacare on families and small businesses, they continue to reject our calls for fairness for all Americans.”
In an 11th hour gambit prior to a government shutdown Monday night, House Republicans attempted to enter conference committee negotiations with the Senate to achieve a resolution on a stopgap bill to temporarily keep the government funded. Senate Democrats flatly rejected, calling on the GOP to agree to fund the government and negotiate a real budget.
President Obama blasted Republicans Tuesday for for their singular focus on defunding his signature health law, the Affordable Care Act.
“You know, the shutdown is not about budgets or deficits,” he said from the White House Rose Garden. “This shutdown is rolling back our efforts to provide health insurance to folks who don’t have it. It is all about rolling back the Affordable Care Act. This more than anything else seems to be what the Republican Party stands for these days.”
Read Boehner’s full op-ed here.
