In his first extended interview since the beginning of the government shutdown, House Speaker John Boehner appeared today on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and wasted no time in placing the blame for the current impasse squarely on the failure of the President and Senate Democrats to negotiate.

George, the House has passed four bills to keep the government open and to provide fairness to the American people under Obamacare. And even after the Senate has rejected -- they've rejected all four of them. And even after the four rejections, we asked to sit down with the Senate and have a conversation. They said, no.

Defending the motives of House Republicans, Boehner offered the following:

They believe that Obamacare, all these regulations coming out of the administration, are threatening the future for our kids and our grandkids. It is time for us to stand and fight.