Boehner prepares to let the US default

Written on October 9th, 2013 in politics Comments Off

Published to Russia Today RT, Oct 7, 2013.

The top Republican in the House of Representatives warned President Barack Obama over the weekend that he’s ready to let the United States default — and that the White House is to blame.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that Republicans in his chamber would not immediately honor the White House’s request to raise the US debt ceiling, setting the stage for what would be the first ever federal default in the history of the country.  

Answering whether he thinks a default is imminent, Boehner said, “That’s the path we’re on.”

Boehner warned that Obama was “risking default by not having a conversation with us.”

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told Fox News that defaulting on the country’s debt would be both “irresponsible” and “reckless.”

The Obama administration has urged Congress to raise the US debt ceiling, essentially increasing the amount of money that the US Treasury can borrow from other nations. Should the ceiling not be raised ahead of an October 17 deadline, however, the US is expected to default and likely damage further its reputation within the international community.

The Republican refusal to increase the debt ceiling in Congress comes amid a government shutdown expected to enter its second week on Tuesday. The reluctance of the GOP to approve a budget that includes President Obama’s hallmark Affordable Care Act turned chaotic last Tuesday when a 12 a.m. deadline came and went without a compromise.

Again, Republicans insist that catastrophe could be averted if the White House agrees to discuss its spending habits with Congress and perhaps reach a compromise ahead of the looming Oct. 17 deadline.

“The nation’s credit is at risk because of the administration’s refusal to sit down and have a conversation,” Boehner told ABC’s “This Week.”

According to Boehner, House Republicans are not interested in approving any “clean” debt limit bill. Instead, the speaker says the White House should engage in a conversation that could yield a compromise between both parties … //

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Links:

John Boehner on en.wikipedia is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives …;

What John Boehner’s ambition has to do with the shutdown, on BBC news US and Canada, by Dick Mexer, Oct 7, 2013.

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