Biden slams Republicans for budget impasse

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden has blamed "a small group of extreme Republicans" for a budget impasse that has placed the US government a week away from a shutdown, and he urged the lawmakers to resolve the issue.

Speaking at a Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner on Saturday, Biden said he and the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had previously agreed on government spending levels.

"Now a small group of extreme Republicans don't want to live up to the deal, so now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price," he said.