Obama Drops The Hammer On Republicans, ‘Nobody Gets To Hold The American Economy Hostage.’

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During a speech in New Orleans, LA, President Obama strongly told Republicans that he will not allow them to hold the economy hostage with another government shutdown.

The President said:

Congress is about to come back from a six-week recess. The deadline to fund the government is, as always, the end of September, and so I want everybody to understand that Congress has just about a month to pass a budget that helps our economy grow. Otherwise, we risk shutting down the government and services that we all count on for the second time in two years.

That would not be responsible. It does not have to happen. Congress needs to fund America in a way that invests in our growth in our security and not cuts us off at the knees by locking in mindless austerity or shortsighted sequester cuts to our economy or our military.

I’ve said I will veto a budget like that. I think most Americans agree. We’ve got to invest in rather cut things like military readiness, infrastructure, schools, public health, the research and development that keeps us on the cutting edge. That’s what great nations do. That’s what great nations do, so you know eventually we’re going to do it anyway, so let’s just do it without too much drama.

Let’s do it without another round of threats to shut down the government. Let’s not introduce unrelated partisan issues. Nobody gets to hold the American economy hostage over their own ideological demands.

President Obama made it clear that he is not going to play let’s make a deal in order to avoid a government shutdown. He was very specific in what he wanted. Obama wants the sequester gone. He isn’t going to settle for anything less. The White House has been signaling for months that they will veto any Republican passed budget that is based on the sequester.

His remarks also contained a warning to Ted Cruz and any other Republican, who may be considering shutting down the government over Planned Parenthood. President Obama’s message was don’t even think about it. Cruz and others don’t get to shut the government down to carry out their ideological agenda.

President Obama dropped the hammer on Republican dreams of causing chaos in September. If Republicans cause a crisis, it is clear that the President is going to get roped into their dysfunctional drama.

Jason Easley

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