GOP lawmaker rejects White House trip, ‘lecture’ from Obama

A freshman GOP lawmaker rejected an invitation to the White House on Wednesday, saying he didn’t want to be “lectured” by President Obama.

“I have respectfully declined the president’s invitation to
the White House today,” Rep. Jeff Landry (La.) said in a statement. “I don’t
intend to spend my morning being lectured to by a president whose failed
policies have put our children and grandchildren in a huge burden of debt.”

Landry is skipping a White House meeting with the entire GOP
House caucus. Obama will meet with House Democrats on Thursday.

Landry said he would not sit down with Obama to negotiate on
a deficit reduction compromise until Obama produces his own budget plan.

{mosads}“Until the president produces a responsible deficit
reduction plan, I’m not going to the White House to negotiate with myself. Our
conference has put out for months where we would start the process,” Landry
continued.

Democrats have hammered Republicans on House Budget
Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget proposal. In response,
Republicans have criticized Obama and Democrats for failing to offer a proposal
of their own.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama wants to “hear
and listen to their ideas, their concerns” during the meeting with the GOP.

Landry also criticized Obama for neglecting to meet with the
Louisiana delegation about a drilling moratorium off the Gulf of Mexico.

“The President has done nothing, just like he has for the
people of the Gulf Coast,” Landry said.

“For months, the Louisiana delegation has sent the president
numerous requests to meet with him or his chief of staff concerning the de
facto moratorium issued in the Gulf of Mexico, a de facto moratorium that has
driven gas prices up and now threatens to derail economic recovery; the president
hasn’t even had the courtesy to write us a note back.”

Landry said the meeting was just “political grandstanding”
on Obama’s part.

“I refuse to partake in his political grandstanding that
will ultimately do nothing for debt reduction and job creation,” Landry said.