Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

Obama to GOP: Let's 'Step Up Our Game' and Nail Budget Deal

2 years ago
  0 Comments Say Something  »
Text Size
President Obama said Saturday he has already met Republicans halfway in the on-going budget dispute and is "prepared to do more" in an effort to responsibly cut spending and avoid a government shutdown later this month.

A temporary two-budget that kept the trains running expires on March 18 as Republicans and Democrats wrangle over how much to trim from a longer-term plan that would fund government operations through Sept. 30, the close of the 2011 fiscal year.

"We've got to step up our game," Obama said in his weekly address. "We can't do business two weeks at a time... We've got to keep that momentum going."

The Republican majority in the House and most GOP senators want to reduce government outlays by $61 billion during the seven remaining months on the fiscal calender. The Obama administration countered with an offer to cut $6.5 billion on top of $4 billion included in the current stopgap budget. That leaves a $50 billion void for the Senate to cover in the next two weeks.

"We need to come together around a long-term budget that sacrifices wasteful spending without sacrificing the job-creating investments in our future... we'll only finish the job together by sitting at the same table, working out our differences and finding common ground," the president said. "... And it can't be just about how much we cut. It's got to be about how we cut and how we invest. We've got to be smart about it."

The president offered little in the way of specifics. The details, presumably, will emerge behind closed doors in negotiations between congressional leaders and Obama's team led by Vice President Biden.

But Republicans, in their weekly remarks, spoke harshly of Obama's approach. His new budget, proposed for 2012, "doesn't match his words" about government living within its means, said Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) "It continues out of control spending, it adds to our $14 trillion debt and it adds to the uncertainty that makes it harder to create jobs," Black said.

Obama delivered his statement from a high school classroom in Miami during a visit to Florida Friday. Watch it here.


Tagged: dailyguidance

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

303 Comments

Filter by:
lasml

I hope that the main media will pick up the story about the President, Nancy and Harry pulling the big one over congress and everybody else. They hid 150 billion dollars in the health care deal that will fund it for the next ten years. That is why Nance told everyone to pass it and then read it. That is why they did not get the full bill until the last minute. They did not want anyone to find out about it. I am hoping that more will come out about it. So all of you people that believe that the health care bill was going to save big money, it really is costing so much more. That is why they lied about it.

March 08 2011 at 6:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to lasml's comment
F4flyr

Didn't the health care bill get insurance for 30 million Americans who otherwise wouldn't have any?

March 13 2011 at 6:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
inasctg56

reply to gamessier: Republicans passed legislation that had incentives for corporations to move overseas so they could make record profits. And then in 2004 the gop passed legislation that taxed those overseas profits at only 5.25% - and Eric Cantor wants to return this tax level to them. For the last decade americans worked harder, longer, and for less while corporations and businesses made record profits. It was the use of supply side economics while ignoring demand side economics that got us in this mess. President Obama and the dems have been legislation with incentives for business that holds them accountable for creating jobs here - like 100% writeoffs for improvements and hiring. They don't just throw money at them and hope it trickles down like the gop does because that doesn't work.

March 07 2011 at 10:37 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
selfishrightwing

Really I thought it was President Boehner from the way things are looking. Crybaby conservatives always get their rich crybaby way. Tax cuts for the richest is what put this country in the hole. Now the middle class and poor will pay and government will shutdown and the Rich Corporations and there Conservative enforcers will rejoice. Dictator Boner and his conservative lackeys. The only thing going on is what has been going on the Rich Conservatives get their crybaby way. Red is the color of the conservative. So yeah get out the red flags for Dictator Boehner and the GOP. America will keep losing as long as the GOP keeps manipulating our government in favor of a few.

March 07 2011 at 3:50 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Perry

CLARIFICATION: OBAMA - "We must continue my investment in SOCIALISM AND ORGANIZATION OF THE WORLD ORDER". Get out the red flags for the homecoming parade!!!!

March 06 2011 at 4:46 PM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
h4x354x0r

6 Billion, 60 Billion, 600 Billion. It's still not enough. There's no significant difference between Obama and the GOP in relation to the actual size of the problem. The only difference is that the extra 50B from the GOP is targeted at their economically damaging faux moralistic ideologies.

March 06 2011 at 11:05 AM Report abuse +5 rate up rate down Reply
Debbi Massie

It 's simple cut Wellfare out keep Social Security ,Medicare and Medicaid have Wellfare Reform { limit the number of dependants to 2 and any more than that get your selfs to work , the government is not your keeper} people have gotten lazy . Were does the Constiution SAY IT'S THE U.S. GOVERNMENTS RESPONIBLITY TO SUPPORT YOU !!!! I belive everone has to live within their means

March 06 2011 at 9:59 AM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Debbi Massie's comment
selfishrightwing

Where does it say its the tax payers responsibility to give out corporate bailouts, where does it say its fair for middleclass to pay their share of taxes based on what they make while the rich in this country don't. Yeah I agree to an extent on what you say but there is wrong on the rich end of the spectrum. If they had been paying in taxes what they really owed when Bush was in office we would not have come to the head we find ourselves at now.

March 07 2011 at 3:56 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
smitty

Cause "I'll cave in and do whatever you want"

March 06 2011 at 7:08 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
luapmi2

Now that the democrats have lost their huge majorities they want to sit at the same table. It's clear that Obama is afraid to lead and wants to hide behind someone else when needing to make unpopular decisions. He is, by far, the worst American President. And Jimmy Carter lets loose with a sigh of relief!

March 06 2011 at 5:42 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
John Vilvens

Obama budget add to the national debt. Obama thinks everyone is to stupid to understand his double talk. Democrats where are your ideas on how to balance the budget? If you cannot lead get in the backseat.

March 06 2011 at 4:57 AM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
bullwrinklepups

Lets see....Republicans prpose 60-billion..obama propposes 6 billion..boy is that the new democratic 50%??? Yes, repubilcans will and ARE creating job(s). Since republicans were elected in 11/02/2010, more job(s) have been created... do any of you liberals and democrats ever look up and read anything but thewhite house talking points? Get out a bit, take long walks, READ THE WHOLE BILL, do your own homework...educate yourselves. I cannot imagine all of you are drones or thugs..cmon guys...

March 05 2011 at 11:59 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply

Follow Politics Daily

  • Comics
robert-and-donna-trussell
CHAOS THEORY
Featuring political comics by Robert and Donna TrussellMore>>
  • Woman UP Video
politics daily videos
Weekly Videos
Woman Up, Politics Daily's Online Sunday ShowMore»
politics daily videos
TV Appearances
Showcasing appearances by Politics Daily staff and contributors.More>>