Obama: This debt-ceiling fight could be catastrophic, you know

Continuing his effort to frame the looming fight over the nation’s debt limit, Obama makes clear “one thing I will not compromise over is whether or not Congress should pay the tab for a bill they’ve already racked up.”

“If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic,” he continues. “The last time Congress threatened this course of action, our entire economy suffered for it.”

Speaking from Hawaii, where the president is vacationing with his family, Obama cautions that another “messy brinkmanship” in Congress would make business owners and consumers less confident.