Politics

Obama Says He'll Negotiate Once Threats End

But once the threats end, what's the incentive to negotiate?

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President Obama on Tuesday intensified his pressure on Republicans with a hastily scheduled news conference, calling on them to both fund and reopen the government and to raise the nation's borrowing limit as the federal shutdown entered a second week.

"Let's lift these threats from our families and our businesses, and let's get down to work," Mr. Obama said in the White House briefing room before taking questions from reporters.

Mr. Obama said that he was holding firm that he could not negotiate concessions to the Republican-led House for it to perform Congress's constitutional responsibilities.