Boehner: Raising debt limit is Obama's problem

WASHINGTON — Ratcheting up the partisan rhetoric, House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that the burden for raising the nation's debt limit rests on President Barack Obama's shoulders.

"This debt limit increase is his problem and I think it's time for him to lead by putting his plan on the table — something that the Congress can pass," Boehner said in a news conference hours before heading to the White House for another round of meetings.

Boehner's comments are a sharp shift from the talk in recent days from both sides about the need for the White House and lawmakers to find a bipartisan solution. Raising the debt ceiling ultimately requires congressional authorization.

Earlier Tuesday, the top Republican in the Senate accused Obama and Democrats of "deliberate deception" of the American public during the negotiations to cut government spending and increase the U.S. debt limit.

In a harshly worded speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell said the president presented Republicans with three choices: smoke and mirrors, tax increases, or default. McConnell says Republicans refused to play along.

Despite their strong language, both McConnell and Boehner have said they believe the U.S. will not default on its obligations. The Treasury Department has said the debt ceiling must be raised by Aug. 2 in order to avoid that potentially calamitous situation.

Republicans remain vehemently opposed to a deal that would include any tax increases, while the White House insists increased revenues must be a part of the final package.