Sen. Ted Cruz says legislation raising the debt ceiling is among the best leverage that Congress has to rein in the White House and should include changes to the nation's new health insurance system.

Senator Ted Cruz (R)
Senator Ted Cruz (R) (CNN)
loading...

The Texas Republican said Sunday in addition to what he calls "Obamacare," Republicans should also look for a "significant" plan to reduce new spending and avoiding new taxes.

He points out that past debt ceiling authorizations included changes to the banking system and mandatory budget cuts.

The nation is in the fifth day of a partial government shutdown over attempts by the Republican-controlled House to alter or delay the new health insurance program and faces an Oct. 17 deadline to avoid a first-ever default on its financial obligations.

Cruz spoke on CNN's "State of the Union."

Boehner: No idea when government shutdown ends

House Speaker John Boehner says he doesn't know when the government shutdown will end and says it's up to President Barack Obama to start negotiations.

The Ohio Republican said Sunday that he will not allow his GOP-led House to vote on a bill reopening the government without serious talks about spending. He also says he will not go forward with a bill increasing the government's borrowing authority without a similar conversation.

Boehner spoke to ABC's "This Week."

Lew warns of dangers if borrowing limit not raised

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (CNN)
loading...

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says it will be "dangerous" and "reckless" for Congress to pass an October deadline without raising the government's borrowing limit.

Lew said Sunday that on Oct. 17 the government will lose the capacity to borrow because he will have exhausted all the extraordinary measures he has been using since May to free up room for more borrowing. He said the government has never before lost its borrowing ability.

In a CNN interview, Lew said that the government will have about $30 billion of cash on hand, but he said this was not a "responsible amount of cash to run the government on."

He called on Congress to raise the $16.7 trillion borrowing limit before the deadline to avoid damage to the government's credit standing.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM