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President Obama fired the first shot in what is going to be an epic September battle by calling out Republicans in Congress for not finishing their work, but still going on a five-week paid vacation.
Video:
The President said:
Now, we need Congress to do its part to boost the economy, as well. Unfortunately, Congress left town for five full weeks – and they left behind a stack of unfinished business. For the first time ever, Congress failed to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. That left thousands of business owners and their employees at a serious disadvantage compared to their competitors overseas. That’s not good for jobs. It’s not good for our economy. When it returns from recess, reauthorizing the bank ought to be a top agenda for members of Congress.
Congress also hasn’t passed a budget – and when they return from vacation, they’ll only have a few weeks to do so, or shut down the government for the second time in two years. They’ve had all year to do this. Months ago, I put forward a detailed plan to strengthen our economy and our national security in a fiscally responsible way. And for months, I’ve said I will veto any budget that locks in the sequester—those senseless cuts to domestic and national security priorities. Remember, we can’t cut our way to prosperity. We should be investing in things that help our economy grow today and tomorrow, like education or infrastructure or scientific research.
Democrats in Congress have made it clear they’re ready to sit down and work with Republicans to find common ground on this. After all, Americans expect Congress to help keep our country strong and growing – not threaten to shut down our government. When Congress gets back, they should prevent a shutdown, pass a responsible budget, and prove that this is a country that looks forward – a country that invests in our future, and keeps our economy growing for all Americans.
The odds of Republicans coming back from vacation and not causing major drama are exactly zero. Every signal being sent from Republicans in the House and Senate is suggesting that they are itching for a major confrontation and a government shutdown.
President Obama has been establishing his position for months by threatening to veto Republican-passed spending bills that are keeping in place the sequester-level cuts. Obama is not going to agree to defund Planned Parenthood. The President is not going to go along with more budget cuts to programs that millions of Americans depend on.
Republicans continue to believe that they can bully and intimidate Obama into getting giving them what they want, but this president has ridden out each manufactured Republican crisis and waiting for the GOP to cave.
Obama is making his position clear. Republicans are going to get nothing from him, and they are going to like it.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
