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Obama Blames Republican ‘Obsession’ for Government Shutdown

Published

11 years ago

October 3, 2013

By Roberta Rampton, Reuters

President Barack Obama ridiculed House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Thursday for refusing to allow a vote on a funding bill that would end a three-day government shutdown, saying the top Republican in Washington is in the grip of conservative “extremists.”

Obama’s speech at a construction company in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland, showed there was no sign of movement toward a deal that would reopen the government’s doors and allow hundreds of thousands of idled government workers to go back to their jobs.

Obama said Republican conservatives in the House are dead set on killing his signature healthcare law and that he is just as adamant at protecting it from being dismantled or defunded.

“This whole thing is about one thing, the Republican obsession with the Affordable Care Act. That seems to be the only thing that unites the Republican Party right now,” he said.

Obama called for a straight up-or-down vote on a funding bill that would permit the government to reopen, but said Boehner is intimidated by the most conservative members of the Republican caucus.

Enough Democrats and moderate Republicans would approve the legislation if it came to a vote, said Obama.

“The only thing that is preventing all that from happening right now, today, in the next five minutes, is that Speaker John Boehner won’t even let the bill get a yes or no vote because he doesn’t want to anger the extremists in his own party. That’s all,” the president said.

Obama said he is willing to negotiate some changes to the law to improve it, but made clear he would not allow the law to be dismantled.

“It’s the law of the land, it’s here to stay,” he said. Congress passed the healthcare law in 2010.

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Related Topics:conservatives Democrats Government Shutdown House of Representatices John Boehner Obama Republicans Tea Party Washington D.C.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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April 26, 2024

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”