Obama rules out negotiations with Congress on budget until government reopened

Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks alongside Americans (unseen) the White House says will benefit from the opening of health insurance marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, October 1, 2013. REUTERS/Larry Downing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama ruled out negotiations on budget issues with Congress on Wednesday until lawmakers end a U.S. government shutdown by approving spending measures. In a CNBC interview, Obama described himself as exasperated that Republicans refused to drop demands that led to the government shutting down on Tuesday. "Am I exasperated? Absolutely I'm exasperated," he said, because the shutdown was totally unnecessary. Obama said Wall Street should be concerned that a faction of Republicans in the House of Representatives seemed willing to allow the United States to default on its debt in order to push their demand that funding be cut for Obama's signature healthcare law. (Reporting By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason)