"Now the president says, I'm not going to negotiate," said Boehner. "Well I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work that way."
At his press briefing on Wednesday, White House
Press Spokesman Jay Carney had reiterated Obama's insistence that he
will not negotiate with Congress over legislation to increase the amount
of money the federal government can borrow.
"I'm not attempting to be nuanced at all on this,”
Carney said. “We will not negotiate over Congress' responsibility to
raise the debt ceiling”
After Boehner spoke at the House Republican leaders press briefing
today, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also took issue
with President Obama's intransigence."You know, it's kind of interesting--you read the stories of different things that different people do...I read a headline that the speaker gets a phone call from the president," said McCarthy. "I first think that's a very positive thing that's gonna happen. We're going to see movement. The president didn't call to say let's work
"This is a time that one, we're Americans first," said McCarthy. "We ask the president to call again, but this time, don't call to say you won't talk. Do exactly what the American people ask--sit down and work together so we can get this country moving one more time."