Obama cancels trip to Asia-Pacific economic summit due to shutdown

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has canceled his long-planned trip to Southeast Asia because of the government shutdown, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday night. The president was scheduled to leave Saturday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Indonesia and the East Asia Summit in Brunei.

"The cancellation of this trip is another consequence of the House Republicans forcing a shutdown of the government," Carney said. "This completely avoidable shutdown is setting back our ability to create jobs through promotion of U.S. exports and advance U.S. leadership and interests in the largest emerging region in the world."

Secretary of State John F. Kerry will travel to both countries for the meetings. Obama already had canceled his plans to visit Malaysia and the Philippines as part of the trip.