President Obama is not a fan of the House Republican budget announced Tuesday which would curtail government spending by slashing major components of the White House agenda during his final two years in office.
“I should mention that I was hoping for a little luck of the Irish as the Republicans put forward their budget today,” Obama told reporters in the Oval Office, following a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on St. Patrick’s Day. “Unfortunately, what we are seeing right now is a failure to invest in education and infrastructure and research and national defense – all the things that we need to grow, to create jobs, stay at the forefront of innovation and keep our country safe.”
The GOP’s $3.8 trillion budget was meant to highlight conservative concerns about the rise of the national debt and Obama’s progressive plan to expand the economy.
House Republicans would reduce spending by $5.5 trillion over the next decade and lower the federal debt from 74 percent of U.S. gross domestic product to 55 percent in 2025.
The budget also would repeal Obamacare and roll back its expansion of Medicaid.
Obama has dismissed such talk of austerity, saying the focus on red ink has kept the economy from growing more quickly.
“It’s not a budget that reflects the future. It’s not a budget that reflects growth. It’s not a budget that is going to help ensure that middle-class families are able to maintain security and stability,” Obama said. “We’re going to have a robust debate and my hope is, is that ultimately we’ll find some compromises where together we are financing the education, the research, the training, the building of roads and bridges and ports, railways…I’ll keep my four-leaf clover in my pocket and see if the speaker and Mitch McConnell and others are interested in having that conversation.”
