Obama warns Congress not to ‘kill’ economy with shutdown

President Obama on Thursday warned Congress not to “kill” the growing economy by risking a government shutdown this fall.

He posted the message on his official Twitter account following extreme fluctuations in global markets over the last week.

Amidst global volatility, Congress should protect the momentum of our growing economy (not kill it). We must avoid shutdown / austerity.

— President Obama (@POTUS) August 27, 2015

The warning comes on the heels of positive economic news on Thursday morning. The Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy expanded by 3.7 percent in the second quarter — much more than originally expected.

{mosads}Obama’s warning also comes roughly a week before Congress returns to Capitol Hill after its August recess and about a month before the deadline to keep the government funded.

Lawmakers must pass a new funding measure by Oct. 1 to prevent a shutdown.

Many conservatives are calling for defunding Planned Parenthood as it comes under fire over its fetal tissue program. More than a dozen House lawmakers have warned Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that they won’t support legislation that continues to fund the organization.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly promised he would not allow a shutdown on his watch.