President Barack Obama blamed House Speaker John Boehner for the recent government shutdown, which did not show any let up in its third day, The Associated Press reported. The president also cast blame on a small group of conservative Republicans who want "to extract concessions in exchange for passing a short term spending bill that would restart the partially stuttered government," news agencies reported.
President Obama told congressional Republicans on Wednesday he will not negotiate major budget issues until the government is re-opened and the debt ceiling is increased, USA Today reported.
"The only thing preventing people from going back to work and basic research starting back up and farmers and small business owners getting their loans, the only thing that is preventing all that from happening right now, today, in the next five minutes is that Speaker John Boehner won't even let the bill get a yes or no vote because he doesn't want to anger the extremists in his party," the president said.
Obama added in a CNBC interview that he is "exasperated" by the intrasigence in Washington.
Boehner, meanwhile, expressed consternation that Obama used Wednesday night's meeting with congressional leaders merely to say he will not negotiate at all. Conservative Republicans have demanded the repeal, delay or defunding of Obama's signature healthcare law, which took effect on October 1.
"All we're asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare," Boehner said, as reported by The AP.
House Republicans, mainly tea party conservatives, remain insistent that Obama must accept changes to the law, but the president has been resolute to not accept the proposition.
Many Senate Republicans have broken rank with the conservative wing of their party, saying that defunding the healthcare bill is a "dumb" idea, which will only strengthen the president's agenda.
"I said it was the dumbest idea I'd ever heard of. I still think it's a dumb idea, because you can't defund Obamacare," said North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr
The shutdown has left more than 700,000 employees on unpaid leave and closed national parks, tourist sites, government websites, office buildings, BBC News reported.
As the impasse entered its third day, experts say it could only get worse, mainly because the Obama administration said Congress must renew the government's authority to borrow money by October 17 or risk a federal default, which would be the first time ever, The AP also reported.
"You don't get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you're supposed to be doing anyway, or just because there's a law there that you don't like," Obama said on Monday, a sentiment he echoed in private phone calls to Boehner and other lawmakers on Wednesday night.
