Barack Obama. Photograph by Pete Souza
US President Barack Obama has said that he is “exasperated” by the ongoing government shutdown caused by Republicans attempting to renegotiate Obamacare whilst holding the country to ransom over budget approval.
The US government and various government services have had to partially shutdown, with around 700,000 workers put on unpaid indefinite leave with no promises of back-pay.
John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Nancy Pilosi, the Democrat Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, had met for talks about ending the shutdown, but they ended with no compromise. Boehner also met with Congressional leaders, but found no favour there either.
Democrats blame the Republicans for trying to extort the country and push for changes to Obamacare, a law that was passed in 2010 and has since been found to be constitutional by the Supreme Court, which came into effect on Tuesday. Republicans blame the Democrats for not agreeing to a compromise, although these talking points have even been questioned by Fox News, often described as a Republican mouthpiece in the press.
Further to the current crisis of funding the government’s continued operation, the deadline for raising the debt ceiling is on the 17th October. This occasion has long been the discussion when either party has attempted to push for concessions from that in power, with the threat of the US government defaulting on its loans if the ceiling is not raised.
With the government already partially shutdown, a failure to raise the debt ceiling as well could have a major impact on the US economy, with shocks felt around the world. The business and financial worlds have already started to lobby the government not to play games with the debt ceiling, with the Financial Services Forum sending a letter to Congress urging them to raise the limit without delay.
Obama has made it clear that he will not be extorted by “the extremist wing of one party” and will not renegotiate Obamacare no matter the stakes.
On Wednesday evening Mr Obama met Republican House Speaker John Boehner, as well as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House.
Mr Boehner later left the talks complaining that the Democrats would not negotiate.
