In a statement of administration policy released a few minutes ago, the White House says that if it reached his desk, President Obama would veto the the scheme to defund Obamacare being pushed by Senator Ted Cruz and House Speaker John Boehner:
The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.J. Res. 59, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014 and for other purposes, because it advances a narrow ideological agenda that threatens our economy and the interests of the middle class. The Resolution would defund the Affordable Care Act, denying millions of hard-working middle class families the security of affordable health coverage.
If the President were presented with H.J. Res. 59, he would veto the bill.
The Administration is willing to support a short-term continuing resolution to allow critical Government functions to operate without interruption and looks forward to working with the Congress on appropriations legislation for the remainder of the fiscal year that preserves critical national priorities, protects national security, and makes investments to spur economic growth and job creation for years to come.
Of course, the legislation will never reach President Obama's desk, because the Senate will never pass it, so this statement (while not surprising) is largely symbolic. The real question—which has gone unanswered as of yet—is how long will it take for House Republicans to face up to reality that they have only one decision in front of them: Whether or not to shut down the federal government:
Join Daily Kos and the DCCC and tell John Boehner: It’s time to cut the Tea Party loose and work with Democrats to keep the government funded and avoid a disastrous default.