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| Obama Says He Will Negotiate Once G.O.P. Ends ‘Threats’ | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday intensified his pressure on Republicans with a hastily scheduled news conference, calling on them to both fund and reopen the government and to raise the nation’s borrowing limit as the federal shutdown entered a second week. | WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday intensified his pressure on Republicans with a hastily scheduled news conference, calling on them to both fund and reopen the government and to raise the nation’s borrowing limit as the federal shutdown entered a second week. |
| “Let’s lift these threats from our families and our businesses, and let’s get down to work,” Mr. Obama said in the White House briefing room before taking questions from reporters. | “Let’s lift these threats from our families and our businesses, and let’s get down to work,” Mr. Obama said in the White House briefing room before taking questions from reporters. |
| Mr. Obama said that he was holding firm that he could not negotiate concessions to the Republican-led House for it to perform Congress’s constitutional responsibilities. | Mr. Obama said that he was holding firm that he could not negotiate concessions to the Republican-led House for it to perform Congress’s constitutional responsibilities. |
| “I am happy to talk with him and other Republicans about anything,” Mr. Obama said of Speaker John A. Boehner, “not just issues I think are important but also issues that they think are important. But I also told him that having such a conversation, talks, negotiations shouldn’t require hanging the threats of a government shutdown or economic chaos over the heads of the American people. | “I am happy to talk with him and other Republicans about anything,” Mr. Obama said of Speaker John A. Boehner, “not just issues I think are important but also issues that they think are important. But I also told him that having such a conversation, talks, negotiations shouldn’t require hanging the threats of a government shutdown or economic chaos over the heads of the American people. |
| “Think about it this way,” he added. “The American people do not get to demand a ransom for doing their jobs.” | “Think about it this way,” he added. “The American people do not get to demand a ransom for doing their jobs.” |
| President Obama phoned Mr. Boehner earlier on Tuesday morning to urge him to allow a House vote on a budget bill without conditions, as Mr. Boehner called on the president to come to the negotiating table to resolve a spending standoff that has shuttered the government for eight days. | President Obama phoned Mr. Boehner earlier on Tuesday morning to urge him to allow a House vote on a budget bill without conditions, as Mr. Boehner called on the president to come to the negotiating table to resolve a spending standoff that has shuttered the government for eight days. |
| The competing pushes by the president and Mr. Boehner came after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans produced no new offers to resolve the spending stalemate and no plan for what to do about the fact that the federal government is set to hit its borrowing limit next week. | The competing pushes by the president and Mr. Boehner came after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans produced no new offers to resolve the spending stalemate and no plan for what to do about the fact that the federal government is set to hit its borrowing limit next week. |
| The White House also announced that the president would take questions from the news media Tuesday afternoon. | The White House also announced that the president would take questions from the news media Tuesday afternoon. |
| According to the White House, the president again told Mr. Boehner that he was willing to negotiate, but only after the “threat of government shutdown and default have been removed.” The White House said that areas the president would be willing to discuss included “how to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and continue to reduce the nation’s deficit.” | According to the White House, the president again told Mr. Boehner that he was willing to negotiate, but only after the “threat of government shutdown and default have been removed.” The White House said that areas the president would be willing to discuss included “how to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and continue to reduce the nation’s deficit.” |
| The speaker’s office said the call broke no new ground. “The president called the speaker again today to reiterate that he won’t negotiate on a government funding bill or debt limit increase,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner. | The speaker’s office said the call broke no new ground. “The president called the speaker again today to reiterate that he won’t negotiate on a government funding bill or debt limit increase,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner. |
| Even as Mr. Boehner’s office put out word of the call and characterized Mr. Obama’s message, Mr. Buck declined to say how the speaker had responded to the president. | Even as Mr. Boehner’s office put out word of the call and characterized Mr. Obama’s message, Mr. Buck declined to say how the speaker had responded to the president. |
| More than a week into the shutdown and nine days from a possible debt default, House Republicans emerged from their meeting with a united demand: they will make no move to resolve either crisis until Mr. Obama extends an olive branch. | More than a week into the shutdown and nine days from a possible debt default, House Republicans emerged from their meeting with a united demand: they will make no move to resolve either crisis until Mr. Obama extends an olive branch. |
| “Refusing to negotiate is an untenable position,” Mr. Boehner said. | “Refusing to negotiate is an untenable position,” Mr. Boehner said. |
| Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the No. 3 House Republican, said: “Mr. President, give a call. We’re ready to answer.” | Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the No. 3 House Republican, said: “Mr. President, give a call. We’re ready to answer.” |
| If that is meant to raise the political pressure on Democrats, they showed little sign of backing down on their position that to compromise over the basic functions of financing the government and preventing a default would only encourage more crises and more hostage-taking. | If that is meant to raise the political pressure on Democrats, they showed little sign of backing down on their position that to compromise over the basic functions of financing the government and preventing a default would only encourage more crises and more hostage-taking. |
| Complicating matters is a Republican contention that the Oct. 17 deadline for a debt ceiling increase is fluid at best, and possibly mythical. Representative John Fleming, Republican of Louisiana, said lawmakers “have plenty of time” to work out a broad deal to reduce the deficit and overhaul entitlement programs before the statutory borrowing limit must be raised. | Complicating matters is a Republican contention that the Oct. 17 deadline for a debt ceiling increase is fluid at best, and possibly mythical. Representative John Fleming, Republican of Louisiana, said lawmakers “have plenty of time” to work out a broad deal to reduce the deficit and overhaul entitlement programs before the statutory borrowing limit must be raised. |
| “We’re already living hand-to-mouth, and have for the last three years,” he said. “Why do we want to make the problem even worse?” | “We’re already living hand-to-mouth, and have for the last three years,” he said. “Why do we want to make the problem even worse?” |
| Some Republicans continue to say the Treasury is receiving ample tax revenues every day to pay off creditors and avoid a default. Additional government services might close and contracts might be suspended as the administration prioritizes debt servicing, they say, but an actual crisis is far off. | Some Republicans continue to say the Treasury is receiving ample tax revenues every day to pay off creditors and avoid a default. Additional government services might close and contracts might be suspended as the administration prioritizes debt servicing, they say, but an actual crisis is far off. |
| “It’s like everything else here,” said Representative Trent Franks, Republican of Arizona. “People on both sides of every argument seem to employ hyperbole when they could just state the truth and it would still be of significant consequence.” | “It’s like everything else here,” said Representative Trent Franks, Republican of Arizona. “People on both sides of every argument seem to employ hyperbole when they could just state the truth and it would still be of significant consequence.” |
| Most economists say a default would be cataclysmic. The government shutdown has already rattled world stock markets, sending investors fleeing to the safe harbor of American Treasury bonds. But that safe harbor is predicated on the fact that for all of American history, the full faith and credit of the government has not been brought into question. | Most economists say a default would be cataclysmic. The government shutdown has already rattled world stock markets, sending investors fleeing to the safe harbor of American Treasury bonds. But that safe harbor is predicated on the fact that for all of American history, the full faith and credit of the government has not been brought into question. |
| A default could shatter that confidence, send interest rates skyrocketing as investors in Treasury notes demand a premium for their purchases, and crater a fragile economic recovery. | A default could shatter that confidence, send interest rates skyrocketing as investors in Treasury notes demand a premium for their purchases, and crater a fragile economic recovery. |
| But after assuring lawmakers privately that such a crisis would never happen, Mr. Boehner is now drawing a harder line. In the meeting Tuesday, he told lawmakers that it would be “irresponsible” to allow the government to borrow more before locking in changes to the health care law and entitlements like Medicare and Social Security that would bring down spending over the long term. | But after assuring lawmakers privately that such a crisis would never happen, Mr. Boehner is now drawing a harder line. In the meeting Tuesday, he told lawmakers that it would be “irresponsible” to allow the government to borrow more before locking in changes to the health care law and entitlements like Medicare and Social Security that would bring down spending over the long term. |
| Representative Reid Ribble, Republican of Wisconsin, sent a letter Tuesday to Mr. Boehner with 51 House Republicans demanding that any long-term debt ceiling increase address the politically fraught issue of Social Security spending. | Representative Reid Ribble, Republican of Wisconsin, sent a letter Tuesday to Mr. Boehner with 51 House Republicans demanding that any long-term debt ceiling increase address the politically fraught issue of Social Security spending. |
| “Unless we have major reforms to the way our government spends, I’m not going to sign some blank check for irresponsible policy,” said Representative Matt Salmon, Republican of Arizona, expressing a sentiment that most House Republicans seem to share. | “Unless we have major reforms to the way our government spends, I’m not going to sign some blank check for irresponsible policy,” said Representative Matt Salmon, Republican of Arizona, expressing a sentiment that most House Republicans seem to share. |
Jackie Calmes contributed reporting. |