Cantor: Obama Would Be Responsible For Shutdown

A top Republican refused Sunday to rule out the possibility of a U.S. government shutdown next year over growing U.S. federal deficits but said if there were one, President Barack Obama would bear responsibility.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor said it's up to Obama to work with Republicans since they won the House from Obama's Democrats in last week's election, vowing to slash spending and shrink government.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Cantor focused on Obama when asked if Republicans could provide assurances that they wouldn't let the government shut down in any confrontation with the White House, disrupting all but the most essential services to millions of Americans.

"The president's got a responsibility as much or more so than Congress to make sure that we are continuing to function in a way that the people want," Cantor said.

"This president certainly, as in his own words, took a shellacking by the voters" in Tuesday's election that saw Republicans take the House and cut the Democratic majority in the Senate, Cantor said.

"It is time for him to try and come meet us and say, 'Fine, let's get back to the kind of things that Americans are about. It is living within our means,"' said Cantor, in line to become majority leader when the new Republican House convenes in January.

As majority leader, Cantor would be the Republican's No. 2, behind only John Boehner, expected to become the chamber's new speaker, replacing Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

The U.S. budget deficit for the fiscal year that ended September 30 was about $1.3 trillion, with the U.S. debt topping $13 trillion. Congress must decide next year whether to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling to avoid a U.S. default.

At the same time, if the White House and Congress can't agree on new spending plans, there could be a government shutdown.Read more >>