Obama not resigned to government shutdown and budget stalemate

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - President Barack Obama said on Monday he is not resigned to a U.S. government shutdown taking place with a midnight deadline looming and said he would talk to congressional leaders later.

During an Oval Office appearance with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama said he supported a Senate bill that would allow for a short-term funding of the government without cutting funding from his signature healthcare law, which Republicans are seeking to gut.

Obama said he planned to talk to congressional leaders later on Monday as well as on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I am not at all resigned" to a shutdown, he said.

Obama said all involved must sit down in good faith without a threat of a debt default because the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world and "we don't mess with that."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.