From Boehner, a Salty Demand That the Senate Act on Spending Cuts

Speaker John A. Boehner said in no uncertain terms Tuesday morning that he expected the Senate to pass some sort of alternative to the $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts set to go into effect on Friday before the House would take any more action.

Speaking at a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters and referring to the two alternative measures that House Republicans passed in the previous Congress, Mr. Boehner said, “We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something.”

An aide to Mr. Boehner said that he had used similar salty language â€" arguing that the House could not be expected to move on the budget cuts until the Senate got off its butt â€" at a private meeting with his conference earlier in the morning, and had liked the phrase so much he repeated it, with the cameras running.

In reply, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said: “I think heshould understand who is sitting on his posterior. We’re working to pass something. The speaker’s doing nothing to try to pass anything.”

On Wednesday, the Senate is supposed to vote on two competing alternative budget packages â€" one from the Democrats, one from the Republicans â€" though neither is expected to pass.

Mr. Boehner again said that he would not give in to the administration’s demand that a deficit reduction package contain additional revenue in addition to the spending cuts, and he said repeatedly that it was time for President Obama and the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, to act.

“The president has been traveling all over the country, today going down to Newport News in order to use our military men and women as a prop in yet another campaign rally to support his tax hikes,” he said. “It’s time to focus on the real problem here in Washington, and that is spending.”

Mr. Boehner added: “The president’s been going all over the count! ry, holding rallies, instead of sitting down with Senate leaders to try to force an agreement over there in order to move a bill.”

Follow Ashley Parker on Twitter at @AshleyRParker.