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Obama blames GOP for government shutdown

04 October 2013 01:00 (UTC +04:00)

During a speech at a construction company in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland, Obama said House Speaker John Boehner is being intimidated by conservative “extremists.”

"The only thing that is keeping the government shut down, the only thing preventing people from going back to work, and basic research starting back up, and farmers and small business owners, getting their loans -- the only thing that's preventing all that from happening right now today, in the next five minutes, is that Speaker John Boehner won't even let the bill get a yes or no vote because he doesn't want to anger the extremists in his party," Obama said.

"There are enough Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives today that if the speaker of the House, John Boehner, simply let the bill get on the floor for an up or down vote, every congressman could vote their conscience, the shutdown would end today."

Obama also urged Congress to "pass a budget that funds our government with no partisan strings attached."

On October 1, large functions of US government shut down as congressional Republicans and Democrats refused to agree on a temporary spending bill that would keep the government funded.

The partial shutdown so far has idled 800,000 federal workers and stopped a whole series of government public services.

US lawmakers also face a mid-October deadline for raising the federal government’s debt limit.

Republicans are seeking to defund or delay Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act, which is also known as Obamacare.

“This whole thing is about one thing, the Republican obsession with the Affordable Care Act. That seems to be the only thing that unites the Republican Party right now,” Obama said during his speech in Maryland.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury has warned of catastrophic effects if the political stalemate over raising the government’s debt limit forces a US default on its obligations.

The federal government is expected to exhaust its cash reserves by October 17 and if US lawmakers do not reach an agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, the government will not be able to pay its bills and will default on its legal obligations.

According to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the nation’s current debt ceiling of $16.7 trillion will be reached by October 17. Lew has promised that he will have used up all extraordinary measures in order to stay below the debt limit by then. After October 17, the US government will have about $30 billion of cash on hand.