Obama On The GOP: 'I Shouldn't Have To Offer Anything'
by EYDER PERALTA
September 30, 2013 5:00 PM
Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Landov
With just hours to go before a potential government shutdown, President Obama said there is still a window to avert it.
"There's still an opportunity, during the course of this day to avert a shutdown and make sure that we are paying our bills," Obama said in an interview with NPR.
But when asked if any proposal from the House is closer to something he would approve, Obama said flatly, "No."
Obama spoke to Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep on Monday afternoon at the White House, but down the street, a momentous battle was happening on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were in a partisan frenzy trying to avoid the first government shutdown in nearly two decades.
At the center of the debate is Obama's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. The GOP-controlled House was trying to stop implementation of the law by inserting language into the bill that funds government operations. But the Democratically controlled Senate stood firm, saying it would not accept anything but a clean continuing resolution, or a bill that funds the government, but does not include language about Obamacare.
Obama On Dealing With The GOP
Obama stood with his party members in the Senate. Steve asked if that opportunity to avoid a shutdown exists, what was he willing to offer.
"Steve when you say what can I offer? I shouldn't have to offer anything," Obama said.