The Government Shutdown Is Over
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/10/17/government-shutdown-over?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=101713-topper
Last night, President Obama signed legislation to reopen our
government and pay our bills.
“Because Democrats and responsible Republicans came
together, the first government shutdown in 17 years is now over,” he said today
in the State Dining Room. “The first default in more than 200 years will not
happen. These twin threats to our
economy have been lifted.”
There was no economic rationale for all this, President
Obama said.
“Over the past four years, our economy has been growing, our
businesses have been creating jobs, and our deficits have been cut in half,” he
said, “but nothing has done more to undermine our economy these past three
years than the kind of tactics that create these manufactured crises.”
The way business is done in Washington has to change, President Obama
said.
Because we’ve all got a lot of work to do on behalf of the
American people – and that includes the hard work of regaining their
trust. Our system of self-government
doesn’t function without it. And now
that the government is reopened, and this threat to our economy is removed, all
of us need to stop focusing on the lobbyists, and the bloggers, and the talking
heads on radio, and the professional activists who profit from conflict, and
focus on what the majority of Americans sent us here to do – and that’s grow
this economy, create good jobs, strengthen the middle class, lay the foundation
for broad-based prosperity, and get our fiscal house in order for the long
haul.
President Obama laid out three places where he believes we
can make progress right now: Pursuing a budget that grows our economy faster
and shrinks our long-term deficits further; fixing our broken immigration
system; and passing a farm bill.
“I will look for willing partners wherever I can to get
important work done,” President Obama said. “And there's no good reason why we
can't govern responsibly, despite our differences, without lurching from
manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis.”
Those of us who have the privilege to serve this country
have an obligation to do our job as best we can. We come from different
parties, but we are Americans first. And
that’s why disagreement cannot mean dysfunction. It can't degenerate into
hatred. The American people’s hopes and dreams are what matters, not ours. Our
obligations are to them. Our regard for them compels us all, Democrats and
Republicans, to cooperate, and compromise, and act in the best interests of our
nation –- one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
President Obama also delivered a statement last night about
ending the shutdown. Read his remarks here or watch the statement below.
Statement by the President of the United States
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
8:28 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good
evening, everybody. Tonight, the
Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together around an agreement
that will reopen our government and remove the threat of default from our
economy.
The Senate has now voted to approve this agreement, and
Democrats and Republicans in the House still have an important vote to take,
but I want to thank the leaders of both parties for getting us to this
point. Once this agreement arrives on my
desk, I will sign it immediately. We'll
begin reopening our government immediately, and we can begin to lift this cloud
of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people.
I'll have more to say about this tomorrow. And I've got some thoughts about how we can
move forward in the remainder of the year and stay focused on the job at hand,
because there is a lot of work ahead of us, including our need to earn back the
trust of the American people that has been lost over the last few weeks. And we can begin to do that by addressing the
real issues that they care about.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: I am willing to work with anybody, I am eager
to work with anybody -- Democrat or Republican, House or Senate members -- on
any idea that will grow our economy, create new jobs, strengthen the middle
class, and get our fiscal house in order for the long term. I've never believed that Democrats have a
monopoly on good ideas. And despite the
differences over the issue of shutting down our government, I'm convinced that
Democrats and Republicans can work together to make progress for America.
In fact, there are things that we know will help strengthen
our economy that we could get done before this year is out. We still need to pass a law to fix our broken
immigration system. We still need to
pass a farm bill. And with the shutdown
behind us and budget committees forming, we now have an opportunity to focus on
a sensible budget that is responsible, that is fair, and that helps hardworking
people all across this country.
And we could get all these things done even this year if
everybody comes together in a spirit of how are we going to move this country
forward and put the last three weeks behind us.
That’s what I believe the American people are looking for -- not a focus
on politics, not a focus on elections, but a focus on the concrete steps that
can improve their lives. That’s going to
be my focus. I'm looking forward to
Congress doing the same.
But, once again, I want to thank the leadership for coming
together and getting this done.
Hopefully, next time, it won't be in the 11th hour. One of the things that I said throughout this
process is we've got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis. And my hope and expectation is everybody has
learned that there is no reason why we can't work on the issues at hand, why we
can't disagree between the parties while still being agreeable, and make sure
that we're not inflicting harm on the American people when we do have
disagreements.
So hopefully that’s a lesson that will be internalized, not
just by me but also by Democrats and Republicans, not only the leaders but also
the rank and file.
Thanks very much, everybody.
Q Mr. President,
isn't this going to happen all over again in a few months?
THE PRESIDENT:
No. (Laughter.)
END
8:31 P.M. EDT