In candid remarks that he presumably didn’t realize were overheard by the press, President Obama said Thursday night that Republicans tried to “sneak” their agenda to kill his health care reform law into budget negotiations over the continuing resolution last week, CBS reports.
"I said, 'You want to repeal health care? Go at it,’” Obama told the donors. “‘We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?'"
Obama said he told House Speaker John Boehner to put the GOP’s repeal efforts into its own bill, separate from the six-month spending resolution.
"We'll call it up," Obama said he told GOP negotiators. "And if you think you can overturn my veto, try it. But don't try to sneak this through."
Obama's comments, delivered into a microphone the president may not have realized was still connected to the White House press room, were overheard by CBS Radio News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
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