Obama Blasts GOP Positions on Debt Ceiling, Sequester
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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — President Obama continued his ongoing battle with Republicans Monday on how to best stimulate the still moderate economic recovery in a speech marking five years since the 2008 fiscal crisis.
It was clear that the president opposes GOP lawmakers only agreeing to raising the debt ceiling by defunding the Affordable Care Act. Otherwise, there are threats of a government shutdown.
According to the president, there’s never been an instance during the country’s history of a party’s minority faction vowing economic chaos unless they got 100 percent of what they wanted.
Turning to another issue, Obama blamed Republicans for refusing to end the ongoing sequester that is forcing deep cuts in defense and non-defense spending, complaining that it’s hurting economic growth.
As for his own agenda to help the middle class, the president complained the GOP wants to do the exact opposite by slashing investments in education, infrastructure and scientific research.
The president did manage to catch some heat from critics for his remarks with some contending they were inappropriate in light of the Washington Navy Yard shootings Monday that left 12 dead.
During his press briefing, White House spokesman Jay Carney defended the president, saying he addressed the tragedy at the top of his speech, adding that budget issues were “looming” and it was “an important thing for the president to talk about.”
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