House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) on Monday accused President Obama of using the armed forces as “campaign props” in discussions to replace automatic budget cuts known as the sequester.
“The president proposed this sequester, yet he’s far more interested in holding campaign rallies than in urging his Senate Democrats to pass a plan,” Boehner said during a press conference on Capitol Hill.
He continued: “Listen, the president says we have to have another tax increase to avoid the sequestration. Well, Mr. President, you got your tax increase. It’s time to cut spending in Washington. Instead of using our military men and women as campaign props, if the president was serious, he would sit down with Harry Reid and address our problems.”
Flanked by more than a dozen first responders in uniform on Tuesday, Obama offered dire warnings about the consequences of the sequester, set to take effect March 1.
“If Congress allows this meat-cleaver approach to take place, it will jeopardize our military readiness,” Obama said at a White House press conference.
“Emergency responders like the ones who are here today, their ability to help communities respond to and recover from disasters will be degraded. Border Patrol agents will see their hours reduced. FBI agents will be furloughed. Federal prosecutors will have to close cases and let criminals go,” he warned.
In Washington for the National Governors Association’s winter summit on Monday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) also criticized Obama for fearmongering.
“He’s trying to scare the American people,” Jindal said. “He’s trying to distort the impact. The president needs to stop campaigning. Stop trying to scare the American people.”
