He is demanding a budget agreement with Republicans controlling Congress that would lift a freeze on the budgets of the Pentagon. Speaking at a White House news conference, he asserted that the USA can’t cut its way to prosperity. Mr. Obama said the transition is certain to complicate coming budget negotiations. He said only Iran and Syrian President Bashar Assad are on Putin’s side, while the U.S.is leading a 60-nation global coalition against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew recently informed Congress that the government won’t be able to pay its bills after October.
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The bill he signed this week, which averted a potential government shutdown, only keeps the government funded through December 11. The White House wants a more permanent agreement, particularly because the short-term funding deals keep in place a series of dramatic spending limits.
“I understand they feel strongly about it and I respect that”, Obama said of Republicans concerned about the group.
Obama said he would not indulge Republicans who aim to win concessions in exchange for raising the debt limit.
“We’re not going to negotiate on that”, the president said of the debt ceiling. That is earlier than most on Capitol Hill has thought and means the issue probably needs to be dealt with before House Speaker John Boehner resigns.
WKBN has been following the Republicans and Democrats battle over the funding of Planned Parenthood.
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Information for this article was contributed by Christi Parsons of Tribune News Service and by Andrew Taylor, Erica Werner and Alan Fram of The Associated Press.
