We had a victory today for the American people and frankly we also had a victory for common sense Speaker John A. Boehner (R Ohio) said surrounded by more than 200 cheering lawmakers at a news conference at the Capitol.
Our message to the United States Senate is real simple The American people don t want the government shut down and they don t want Obamacare.
Friday's vote was Step One in the GOP crusade to undermine the health law. Step Two comes next week when House leaders hope to advance a separate measure that will demand a one year delay in the law s implementation in exchange for an agreement to avoid a first ever default on the nation s debts sometime next month.
Obama responded with an uncharacteristically angry speech in which he accused Republicans of trying to mess with me and holding the economy hostage.
They re focused on politics. They re focused on trying to mess with me. They re not focused on you he told a friendly crowd of about 1 000 autoworkers and their families at a truck manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Kansas City Mo.
Three times Obama used the phrase deadbeat nation to condemn Republican brinkmanship on the debt limit.
We are not a deadbeat nation. We don t run out on our tab Obama said. We re the world s bedrock investment. The entire world looks to us to make sure the world economy is stable.
Sounding exasperated he urged Congress Just do your job.
Upon his arrival back in Washington Obama called Boehner and reiterated his refusal to negotiate over the debt limit a White House official said speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.
Obama added that the American people have worked too long and too hard to dig the nation out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the last thing that they and the nation s economy needs is another politically motivated self inflicted wound the official said. Obama also called House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D Calif.).
Boehner has repeatedly said he wants to avoid a default as well as a government shutdown. Last month in a conference call with rank and file lawmakers Boehner counseled against using the government funding bill to provoke a showdown over the health law.
But this week Boehner bowed to pressure from about 40 House conservatives who signed onto an effort to block the law s implementation on Oct. 1. That effort has been led by Sens. Ted Cruz (R Tex.) and Mike Lee (R Utah) as well as vocal outside groups such as Heritage Action for America and the Club for Growth.
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