Obama Demands Concessions From GOP On Spending

President Obama made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Tuesday to hammer Republicans over their refusal to compromise with him on a deal to fund the government.

After a meeting with congressional leaders — including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — failed to produce an agreement, Obama took to the podium to urge Boehner to reconsider holding out for further spending cuts.

“We are now closer than we’ve ever been in getting an agreement,” the President said. “There’s no reason why we should not get an agreement.”

Obama expressed visible frustration, telling lawmakers to “act like grownups” and accusing Republicans of taking a “my way or the highway” approach to the debate.

“Nobody gets 100 percent of what they want,” Obama warned.

He repeatedly noted that the White House’s latest offer of $33 billion worth of spending cuts includes more in reductions than an original bill crafted by House lawmakers earlier this year. Nonetheless, Boehner dismissed the offer on Tuesday due to concern that it does not contain “significant” enough spending reductions.

Republicans would prefer the White House and Senate Democrats to move closer to the budget plan they passed back in February, which cuts current spending levels by $61 billion and funds the government through the end of the current fiscal year. Though that measure failed in the Senate, Tea Party lawmakers in the House have pressured Boehner to stick by it during negotiations.

During this morning’s sit-down, Boehner urged Obama to accept a short-term funding package — known as a continuing resolution — that would cut spending by $12 billion and would stave off a government shutdown until April 15. However, Obama flatly dismissed the idea of signing yet another CR.

“We’ve already done that twice,” he said. “That is not a way to run a government. I can’t have our agencies making plans based on two-week budgets.”