President Barack Obama on Saturday lauded leaders of both parties for finally agreeing on a budget framework for the rest of the fiscal year, averting a government shutdown that threatened to leave about 800,000 federal employees temporarily out of work.

“This is good news for the American people,” Obama said in his weekly address to the nation. “It means that small businesses can get the loans they need, our families can get the mortgages they applied for, folks can visit our national parks and museums, and hundreds of thousands of Americans will get their paychecks on time — including our brave men and women in uniform.”
The president also praised lawmakers, who sealed the deal late Friday night, for keeping politics and social issues from overtaking the budget talks, referring to provisions concerning the Environmental Protection Agency and Planned Parenthood that had hindered lawmakers from arriving at a resolution in the final days of the debate.
The accord would cut $78.5 billion from Obama’s 2011 budget proposal and, according to a joint statement from House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), included “an agreement on the policy riders.”
Despite the agreement, the president also had a sober message about the “painful” spending cuts to come, warning that many federal programs people depend on may be killed and that certain infrastructure projects will be delayed. “I would not have made these cuts in better circumstances,” he added.
Still, Obama stood firmly behind the difficult decisions that were made, emphasizing the importance of living within one’s means. “Reducing spending while still investing in the future is just common sense,” he said. “That’s what families do in tough times. They sacrifice where they can, even if it’s hard, to afford what’s really important.”
Finally, the president recalled how a few months ago, he had been able to sign a tax cut for American families because of the bipartisan efforts of lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle. This same cooperation, Obama said, was what had enabled Republicans and Democrats to make another milestone economic decision for the country.
“It’s my sincere hope that we can continue to come together as we face the many difficult challenges that lie ahead — from creating jobs and growing our economy to educating our children and reducing our long-term deficits,” Obama said. “That’s our responsibility. That’s what the American people expect us to do. And it’s what the American people deserve.”
(Source: Politico