CLEVELAND, March 19 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama criticized the 2016 budget by House Republicans and suggested mandatory voting become a requirement during a speech in Cleveland, Oh., on Wednesday.
Obama, spoke in the critical swing state at the City Club of Cleveland, where he said the Republican budget "doubles down on trickle down" and offers a "path to prosperity [for] those who are already prospering."
Obama said that in his budget, he plans to expand "middle-class economics" and stated that "trickle-down economics" do not work. He also criticized the tax proposals in the Republican budget, which he said benefit the wealthy and harm the middle class.
"Those at the top aren't asked to sacrifice a single dime," he said.
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Obama also suggested voting may need to become a requirement.
"In Australia and some other countries, there's mandatory voting," Obama said. "It would be transformative if everybody voted -- that would counteract money more than anything," in reference to the increasingly large sums of money funding campaigns, which some believe gives wealthy Americans more power in politics.
At least 26 countries have mandatory voting; some punish with fines.
"The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups," Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls."
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives introduced the budget on Tuesday that seeks to repeal ObamaCare, maintain sequestration and increase defense spending.
The White House has been critical of the Republicans' budget since its release.
The House GOP budget would:
Cut taxes for millionaires ✓
Raise taxes for 26 million working families and students ✓ pic.twitter.com/Ryd67WtLvp
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2015Many in the Republican leadership have defended the budget proposal.
We're moving forward with our balanced budget #4jobs. Where's President Obama's? http://t.co/3N7KpWu8jM
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) March 18, 2015
