Boehner to Obama: Reschedule Speech

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- House Speaker John Boehner asked President Obama on Wednesday to reschedule his major jobs speech to a joint session of Congress because Republican candidates are debating.

Obama was expected to deliver his speech about jobs and economic growth to a joint session of Congress the evening on Sept. 7, but the time coincides with a primary debate among the GOP presidential hopefuls.

"It is my recommendation that your address be held on the following evening, when we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks," Boehner said in a letter to Obama.

Obama spokesman Jay Carney said that there were a lot of considerations, congressional schedules and other factors that determined when the president would deliver his speech to Congress.

"Obviously one debate of many that's on one channel of many was not enough reason not to have the speech at the time that we decided to have it," Carney said at a press briefing on Wednesday. The National Football League season kicks off on the evening Boehner suggested Obama speak.

"Next Wednesday night, TV viewers will have a choice between Republican candidates talking about the future of America, or Barack Obama talking about the future of his presidency," Andrea Saul, spokeswoman for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, told TheStreet in an email.

"We're not going to weigh in on it," Alice Stewart, spokeswoman for Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.), told TheStreet.

The Republican debate will be hosted live at the Ronald Reagan Library by Politico and NBC on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. EDT.

-- Written by Joe Deaux in New York.

>To submit a news tip, send an email to: [e-mail]

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints