Obama just raised the stakes in the looming shutdown fight
AP
"I want to be very clear - I will not sign another short-sighted spending bill like the one Congress sent me this week," Obama said at a White House press conference on Friday.
The bill he signed this week, which averted a potential government shutdown, only keeps the government funded through December 11. More than 151 House Republicans voted against that spending bill, a tally Obama noted.
Obama hinted at the coming battle with congressional Republicans, which will largely be waged over domestic and military spending levels. The spending levels date back to 2011 negotiations over raising the nation's debt limit - that deal ultimately imposed automatic, indiscriminate, and across-the-board cuts on both the domestic and military sides.
The president and Democrats want to increase spending beyond the agreed-upon caps of the 2011 budget sequester, while most Republicans want to lift only military spending while making further cuts on the domestic side.
"Our own growth could slow if Congress does not do away with some of the counterproductive austerity measures that they have put in place and if Congress does not avoid the kind of manufactured controversies that shatter consumer confidence and could disrupt an already skittish global economy," Obama said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said this week that he and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would enter into budget negotiations "soon" with the White House.
Separately on Thursday, the Treasury Department told Congress that the nation's debt ceiling would need to be raised by Nov. 5 to avoid risking a default on the country's obligations.
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- A centenarian who starts her day with gentle exercise and loves walks shares 5 longevity tips, including staying single
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- "To sit and talk in the box...!" Kohli's message to critics as RCB wrecks GT in IPL Match 45
- 7 Nutritious and flavourful tiffin ideas to pack for school
- India's e-commerce market set to skyrocket as the country's digital economy surges to USD 1 Trillion by 2030
- Top 5 places to visit near Rishikesh
- Indian economy remains in bright spot: Ministry of Finance