House Speaker John Boehner did not sound optimistic when asked if he foresaw a solution to avert the across-the-board cuts known as the sequester, which are set to begin kicking in this week.
But "hope springs eternal," Boehner said, echoing Obama's words late last week.
Boehner criticized Obama for "campaigning" and not offering a serious solution to cutting spending, charging him with using service members as "props." Obama will travel to Virginia on Tuesday in his push to urge Congress to avert the cuts.
"Mr. President, you got your tax increase," Boehner said, referring to the deal to avert the fiscal cliff. He accused Obama of having a "spending addiction."
Boehner said that it was "time for the Senate to act," putting the onus on Senate Democrats. They plan to push a bill to the floor later this week.
Boehner's press conference comes a day after the White House warned of the state-by-state effects of the cuts, which are set to start kicking in this week. The White House placed much of the blame on Boehner and other Republican leaders.
"Republicans racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles heading to Virginia during the election to campaign about how horrible these cuts would be to our defense and to try to score political points against the President," White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said.