Name: Anonymous 2013-10-03 14:05
Obama raises stakes in US debt showdown
WASHINGTON - United States President Barack Obama warned he would never allow Republicans to kill or delay his health-care law, raising the stakes in a showdown that could shutter the government or trigger a US debt default.
House of Representatives Republicans are refusing to fund a stopgap budget or raise the US$16.7 trillion federal borrowing ceiling unless the President agrees to defund or delay so-called Obamacare - his greatest domestic political achievement.
If no deal is reached in less than five days, the government could shudder to a halt next Tuesday, at the start of the new fiscal year, and by Oct 17, the US could default on its debts for the first time ever.
With no serious negotiations in sight, a disorderly and divided Congress slips closer to a double-barrelled fiscal crisis as House Republican leaders tried on Thursday to shift the budget dispute to a fight over raising the government's borrowing limit.
Trying to round up votes from a reluctant rank and file, House Republicans said they would agree to increase the debt limit to avert a mid-October default only if Democrats accepted a list of Republican priorities, including a one-year delay of the health-care law, a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations.
The health-care law works by expanding the pool of people buying insurance and sharing costs.
It requires all Americans to have health insurance, either by plans provided by their employers or through new health insurance exchanges, which start going into effect on Oct 1. Republicans oppose the overall law because they see it as as unacceptable government interference.
They also argue the exchanges are not ready.
But Mr Obama, speaking at a community college near the US capital on Thursday, warned sharply that he would not tolerate the Republican gambit on health care.
"Some have threatened a government shutdown if they can't shut down this law," he said.
"Others have actually threatened an economic shutdown by refusing to pay America's bills if they can't delay the law."
But "that's not going to happen as long as I'm the president", he added. "The Affordable Care Act is here to stay."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON - United States President Barack Obama warned he would never allow Republicans to kill or delay his health-care law, raising the stakes in a showdown that could shutter the government or trigger a US debt default.
House of Representatives Republicans are refusing to fund a stopgap budget or raise the US$16.7 trillion federal borrowing ceiling unless the President agrees to defund or delay so-called Obamacare - his greatest domestic political achievement.
If no deal is reached in less than five days, the government could shudder to a halt next Tuesday, at the start of the new fiscal year, and by Oct 17, the US could default on its debts for the first time ever.
With no serious negotiations in sight, a disorderly and divided Congress slips closer to a double-barrelled fiscal crisis as House Republican leaders tried on Thursday to shift the budget dispute to a fight over raising the government's borrowing limit.
Trying to round up votes from a reluctant rank and file, House Republicans said they would agree to increase the debt limit to avert a mid-October default only if Democrats accepted a list of Republican priorities, including a one-year delay of the health-care law, a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations.
The health-care law works by expanding the pool of people buying insurance and sharing costs.
It requires all Americans to have health insurance, either by plans provided by their employers or through new health insurance exchanges, which start going into effect on Oct 1. Republicans oppose the overall law because they see it as as unacceptable government interference.
They also argue the exchanges are not ready.
But Mr Obama, speaking at a community college near the US capital on Thursday, warned sharply that he would not tolerate the Republican gambit on health care.
"Some have threatened a government shutdown if they can't shut down this law," he said.
"Others have actually threatened an economic shutdown by refusing to pay America's bills if they can't delay the law."
But "that's not going to happen as long as I'm the president", he added. "The Affordable Care Act is here to stay."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
NEW YORK TIMES