Despite repeated efforts by the House to work together on preventing the sequester, the White House continues ignore the reality of this looming problem. 

Today, the White House announced that it will not support the National Security & Job Protection Act.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor made the following statement:

While our national security, the future of our military, and millions of jobs hang in the balance, the Obama Administration’s opposition to the National Security and Job Protection Act demonstrates that its only plan is to make excuses for its own inaction on averting the sequester.

The House has approved a plan to protect our troops, jobs and our homeland. We have repeatedly asked the White House to work with us to replace the sequester, meet us halfway or to present a plan. Instead, the White House has failed to take any reasonable and responsible steps to avoid this grave threat to the future of our nation.

I condemn the attacks on our consulate in Benghazi and Embassy in Cairo by violent extremists.

My prayers are with the families of Ambassador Chris Stevens and the other brave Americans who lost their lives in this unjustifiable and hateful assault.

Ambassador Stevens and his colleagues were known for having stood firmly on the side of the Libyan people against tyranny, and were untiring in their efforts to help the Libyan people establish a peaceful and tolerant democracy. These brave and honorable public servants deserve the respect of the American and Libyan people, for whom they tragically gave their lives.

These terrible incidents highlight the ongoing security challenges in Libya and Egypt, and I call upon the Libyan and Egyptian governments to protect diplomatic facilities, secure their borders, and redouble efforts to combat extremist terrorism within their countries.

Eleven years after September 11, it is clear that Islamic extremist terrorism still poses a tremendous threat to the Middle East, to the United States, and to the international community.

These attacks will not deter America from continuing to promote peace, democracy, individual and religious freedom and an unwavering respect for human life throughout the region and the world.

Today, we remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who were killed on September 11, 2001 in New York, Pennsylvania and my home state of Virginia. We honor the victims, their families and the responders who saved lives and sacrificed their own in service to their fellow man. And we thank those who have since put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. The best way to honor these heroes is to ensure another attack does not occur.

There is a need for strong U.S. leadership to combat terrorism that continues to threaten the global community and deter future attacks. Although Osama Bin Laden is dead, Al Qaeda remains a dangerous and capable organization dedicated to killing Americans and other radical terrorist groups continue to plot attacks against America and our allies.

We must follow the example that was set in the weeks following the attack by setting discord aside to jointly combat a common enemy that still wishes to do us harm. Our national security must be a priority and we must protect against efforts that would undermine our ability to prevent or respond to another devastating attack.

The United States should never forget, and we must never quit.

On August 8, the President signed the bi-partisan Sequestration Transparency Act into law.

This legislation requires the President to submit a report to Congress on how he intends to implement the sequester– the devastating $110 billion in across-the-board cuts scheduled to occur on January 2, 2013.

Today, the Administration missed the deadline and failed to comply with the law.

House Majority Leader Cantor made the following statement:

"This Administration has a history of failing to meet budget deadlines and today is no exception. The White House has failed to comply with the law and refused to give Congress and the American people any answers for their plan to implement, or replace, devastating cuts that will take effect in about 100 days. These cuts will harm our national security and eliminate jobs. We have made clear that we want to work to replace the cuts in the sequester with bipartisan, common sense spending reforms in order to reduce the deficit, grow the economy and spur job creation. The President has refused to join us at every turn."

Today, our nation's public debt reached $16.015 trillion. This amount represents an astounding increase of $5.39 trillion, or 50%, since January 20, 2009.

This path is unsustainable.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor issued the following statement:

Since the President took office, the national debt has increased by over $5 trillion. The President failed to keep his promise to cut the deficit in half. Now, rather than helping Republicans in Congress get spending under control, the President is proposing to tax small business owners which would cost the economy over 700,000 jobs. We cannot afford more of the same failed policies, big-government spending and massive tax hikes on hardworking families and small businesses.