Carney on Cancelled Veteran Death Benefits: As Soon as President Knew About It, He Directed Lawyers To Find a Solution

Carney Grilled on Veteran Death Benefits: When Did Obama Know? (RealClearPolitics)

KARL: So he didn’t find out until yesterday that this wasn’t being addressed?

CARNEY: Again, I think I’ve been pretty clear about the process here. Congress was informed, as it was informed of all of the consequences of shutdown, and they are many, as we see. And a solution to all of this is not the piecemeal reaction to them or Band-Aid approach to solving them. It’s opening the government at funding levels Republicans set.

Remember, if anybody thinks that Democrats in Congress are getting a concession by extending the government on a short-term continuing resolution at funding levels -- sequester levels agreed to and celebrated by Republicans, they’re sorely mistaken. Leader Pelosi and Leader Reid deserve credit, and Democrats in the Senate and the House deserve credit that they agreed that it was too important not to shut the government down, they agreed to an extension at those levels. And unfortunately, Republicans instead decided to launch a quixotic crusade against Obamacare -- one that everyone knew was going to lead to nothing, and everyone across the country who has even a tangential relationship with the government is suffering as a consequence.