Photograph by Jnn13
Talks between the White House and Republican leaders have failed to result in any agreement, as the US federal government shutdown continues.
Commentators have noted warmer language by both parties in reference to the discussions, but after 90 minutes the two sides were still unable to come to an agreement end the shutdown.
President Barack Obama has insisted on at least temporary measures to continue funding government operations before he would agree to discuss and Republican demands about postponing or defunding any parts of the Affordable Care Act, dubbed “Obamacare”.
Republican house speaker John Boehner has offered to pass a temporary six-week extension to the US debt limit which is expected to be reached towards the end of next week – a move that had a discernible effect upon the stock market, which rallied.
The Republicans are widely being blamed for the ongoing shutdown of the federal government that has resulted in around 800,000 workers being furloughed, with no guarantee of back-pay. The action has left government services such as NASA running with only 5% of its workforce, and the NSA down to just 25% of normal staffing numbers. Parks, monuments, and a large number of government websites and digital services have also been closed to the public.
The Republicans are pushing for a renegotiation of Obamacare, four years after the law was passed by Congress and became law, and after the Supreme Court has found the law to be constitutional.
Obama has vowed to stand firm on implementation of Obamacare, describing Republican actions as “extortion”. Speaking of the recent discussions, a White House statement said:
After a discussion about potential paths forward, no specific determination was made.
The president’s goal remains to ensure we pay the bills we’ve incurred, reopen the government and get back to the business of growing the economy, creating jobs and strengthening the middle class.