President Obama, who is locked in a stalemate with House Republicans over the debt ceiling, is taking his case directly to the public Monday night.
White House press secretary Jay Carney announced on Twitter that Obama will address the nation at 9 p.m.
Obama will speak from the East Room and talk about “the stalemate in Washington over avoiding default and the best approach to cutting deficits,” according to the White House.
The president met with congressional leaders Saturday morning, but they failed to get a deal to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling as the Aug. 2 deadline approaches.
Talks then shifted to Capitol Hill, with congressional leaders sitting down for negotiations.
Those discussions also failed to yield a plan, leading to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offering rival proposals on Monday.
Reid unveiled a $2.7 trillion deficit-reduction plan that includes an array of savings Republican leaders have already endorsed.
Boehner, meanwhile, offered a proposal to raise the debt ceiling by up to $1 trillion while conditioning a future increase on enactment of a deficit-reduction plan and a congressional vote on a balanced-budget amendment.
The White House backed Reid’s plan.
“Senator Reid’s plan is a reasonable approach that should receive the support of both parties, and we hope the House Republicans will agree to this plan so that America can avoid defaulting on our obligations for the first time in our history. The ball is in their court,” said Carney.
(Source: The Hill)
4 Responses
Oh, no. Not another dose of propaganda!
I’m sure he won’t have anything too intelligent to say. I frankly can’t even listen to him. He makes my blood boil.
Anyone notice how he always tilts his head up when he speaks? As if he can’t bear to look us lowly proletariat in the face?
3. That’s because he can’t give a speech without his teleprompter. People who have to read their speeches don’t have the faith of their conviction. Did you ever see what happens when he goes off script? He says what’s REALLY on his mind and his handlers don’t want him to do that for very obvious reasons.