President Barack Obama sought to put the blame for the government shutdown squarely on Congressional Republicans in remarks on Tuesday, specifically pointing to lawmakers tied to the Tea Party.
In a statement in the White House Rose Garden, Obama accused Republicans in Congress of holding the entire economy hostage over ideological demands.
"This Republican shut down did not have to happen, but I want every American to understand why it did happen," Obama said. "Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to fund the government unless we defunded or dismantled the Affordable Care Act."
"They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans," he added. "In other words, they demanded ransom just for doing their job."
After failing to get Senate approval for a temporary spending bill that defunded Obamacare, the GOP-controlled House passed legislation Monday night that would have kept the government running but delayed the implementation of the healthcare reform law.
However, the Democratic controlled Senate rejected the legislation, resulting in the first government shutdown in seventeen years.
Obama argued that the shutdown is not about the budget deficit but is all about rolling back Obamacare, which he said seems to be what the Republican Party stands for these days.
"I know it's strange that one party would make keeping people uninsured the centerpiece of their agenda, but that apparently is what it is," Obama said.
"And of course what's stranger still is that shutting down our government doesn't accomplish their stated goal," he added, noting that funding for the healthcare law is not impacted by a government shutdown.
Despite the government shutdown, Obama pointed out that the health insurance exchanges, a big part of the healthcare law, were launched on Tuesday.
"It's been a long time coming," Obama said. "But today Americans who have been forced to go without insurance can now visit healthcare.gov and enroll in affordable new plans that offer quality coverage."
The president continued to point out the benefits of Obamacare and rejected Republican criticism that the law is hurting the economy.
"What's weighing on the economy is not the Affordable Care Act, but the constant series of crises and the unwillingness to pass a reasonable budget by a faction of the Republican Party," Obama said.
Obama also reiterated his refusal to negotiate over raising the government's debt limit, arguing that it is Congress' responsibility to pay the bills it has already racked up.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew sent a letter to Congress last Wednesday warning that the extraordinary measures the Treasury is employing to preserve U.S. borrowing capacity will be exhausted no later than October 17th.
Obama argued that failing to raise the debt ceiling and forcing the U.S. to default on its obligations would be far more dangerous than a government shutdown.
"So I'll speak more on this in the coming days, but let me repeat, I will not negotiate over Congress' responsibility to pay bills it's already racked up," Obama said.
"I'm not going to allow anybody to drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud just to refight a settled election or extract ideological demands," he added. "Nobody gets to hurt our economy and millions of hardworking families over a law you don't like."
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