WASHINGTON--House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is pushing back Tuesday against President Barack Obama essentially blaming him for the deadlock that may result Friday in the sequester kicking-in--the start of a series of automatic federal spending cuts. Boehner said it is time the Senate gets "off their ass and begins to do something."

Obama is in Newport News, Va. today--to highlight Defense Department cuts to occur if Congress does not act.

In the Capitol, Boehner accused Obama of using soldiers as "props."

Said Boehner, "But I don't think the president's focused on trying to find a solution to the sequester. The president has been traveling all over the country, and 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.

"Now, the American people know if the president gets more money, they're just going to spend it. And the fact is, is that he's gotten his tax hikes. It's time to focus on the real problem here in Washington, and that is spending.

"The president has known for 16 months that this sequester was looming out there when the supercommittee failed to come to an agreement. And so for 16 months, the president's been traveling all over the country holding rallies, instead of sitting down with Senate leaders in order to try to forge an agreement over there in order to move the bill. We have moved the bill in the House twice. We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something."