On Wednesday, top congressional leaders of both parties met with President Obama at the White House, but after 80 minutes, the leaders emerged, saying the president was not interested in any deals with Republicans on funding Obamacare.
“The president made clear to the Leaders that he is not going to negotiate over the need for Congress to act to reopen the government or to raise the debt limit to pay the bills Congress has already incurred,” said a statement issued by Obama's press secretary after the meeting.
Obama and the Democrats "will not negotiate" with Republicans over funding, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said.
“We had a nice conversation … but at some point we’ve got to allow the process that our founders gave us to work out,” he added. “All we’re asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare.”
But that doesn't appear likely any time soon, given that Obama and Reid have dug in their heels on the issue.
Republicans have proposed multiple plans to keep the government funded while either delaying or defunding Obamacare, but Democrats have rejected all of them.
On midnight Monday, the government partially shut down as a result of Reid's intransigence on the issue.
The Nevada Democrat even rejected a bill to fund the NIH, indicating that he was not concerned about helping children with cancer considering federal employees at Nellis Air Force Base.
"W-W-W-Why would we want to do that?" Reid asked CNN's Dana Bash when she asked him why he would refuse to pass a bill if it would help a single child with cancer. "I have 1,100 people at Nellis Air Force base that are sitting home. They have a few problems of their own."
Reid later blamed "Cruz-led Republicans" for his answer, claiming the House didn't have the right to "cherry-pick" what they would fund.
"[A]ctually, the Constitution gives them that right, Harry," Newsbusters' Tom Blumer wrote Wednesday.
Reid said that he and the Democrats are "locked in tight on Obamacare” and neither he nor President Obama are willing to give an inch on the massively unpopular law.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Republicans are trying to get the government open "as quickly as possible."
“And all that it would take is us realizing we have a lot in agreement,” he said.
According to the Daily Caller, Obama's deputies said the president will veto funding bills unless Republicans agree to fund all of government and drop its plans to reform Obamacare.
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