Obama Blames Republicans For Partial Shutdown

US President Barack Obama has blamed Republicans in the House of Representatives for a partial government shutdown, saying they are carrying out an “ideological crusade” against his healthcare law.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the first day of the partial government shutdown of non-essential services, triggered by the failure of Congress to pass a budget law, Obama said Republicans, who have refused to pass the funding bill unless reforms are made to his landmark healthcare law, should not be able to hold the entire economy “hostage”.

He urged them to reopen the government quickly and allow furloughed federal employees to go back to work.
The government shut down because Congress did not pass a funding bill ahead of Monday’s midnight deadline for the end of the 2013 fiscal year.