John Boehner Mocks Obama In House Floor Speech

House Speaker John Boehner made fun of President Barack Obama in a House floor speech on Monday, hours before a possible government shutdown, marking a rare move and a public sign of the two leaders' progressively soured relationship.

"I didn't come here to shut down the government," The Ohio Republican was quoted as saying, moments before the House voted on the GOP's recent ongoing resolution, which includes a one-year delay of Obamacare's individual mandate. "The American people don't want a shutdown, and neither do I."

Boehner, 63, defended his party against allegations that they are eager to shut down the government over the president's signature health care law, before referencing a latest phone call with Obama.



"I talked to the president earlier tonight: "I'm not gonna negotiate, I'm not gonna negotiate, I'm not gonna do this,"" Boehner claimed, mocking Obama.

His speech was met with enthusiasm from Republicans in the chamber.

The President called Boehner earlier in the evening, as the clock kept on ticking toward a government shutdown. The two spoke for nearly 10 minutes, Boehner's office confirmed, albeit without any success on funding the government.

"The president made clear that Congress has two jobs to do: pay the bills on time and pass a budget on time," the White House said in a statement, adding: "Failure to fulfill those responsibilities is harmful to our economy, small businesses and middle class families across the country."

Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck revealed: "The speaker told the president that Obamacare is costing jobs and that American families are being denied basic fairness when big businesses are getting exemptions that they are not."



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