WASHINGTON — White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to describe any steps taken by President Obama to soften the impact of the government shutdown on Americans.
Instead, Carney tried to blame Congress for the actions of officials in Obama’s agencies who have denied use of free government services by blockading public spaces and parks, shutting down White House and agency websites, and excluding Catholic priests from military bases.
Officials, including Obama, have also tried to spur alarm among investors and pensioners, and Obama promises to veto GOP bills that fund individual agencies.
Has the president “used his agency power and asked any regulator to make life easier in any way for Americans, for example … not putting out signs, not picketing parks, and restarting websites?” The Daily Caller asked Carney in the Oct. 4 White House briefing. “Please give me some examples.”
Carney evaded the question by talking about what the president believes, not what he does.
“What I can tell you the president believes that the Speaker of the House, and he’s asking —” Carney replied without offering any examples.
TheDC repeated the question, asking “Has the president done anything?”
Carney again tried to shift the topic to what the president wants others to do.
“The president has asked Congress to do its job. He does not have the capacity or the power from the Constitution to pass a bill on the House that is a continuing resolution,” he said, again avoiding the TheDC’s question about the president’s use of his constitutional power to manage federal agencies.
TheDC followed up, asking if Americans should view the president’s decisions to rollback free government services as a similar to a strike.
“Is the president putting the government on strike?,” TheDC asked.
“No,” Carney replied, before changing the subject by inviting a Washington Post reporter to ask a question.
The budget impasse began when the GOP demanded the defunding of Obamacare in exchange for a government funding bill.
Since then, the GOP has scaled back its demands, and is now asking for Obama to accept some reforms to the Obamacare network. However, Obama and his allied Democrat have opposed all the GOP’s reforms, and have rejected further government funding until the GOP gives up its reform proposals.
Without the further funding that is being blocked by Obama and the Senate Democrats, roughly 800,000 government employees at numerous agencies have been sent home.