(AP) President Barack Obama says congressional critics of the 3-year-old health care law have become more irresponsible in their attempts to kill it the closer the law comes to full implementation.



Obama on Thursday set out to pitch the law known as "Obamacare," five days before the start of a six-month sign-up period for millions of uninsured Americans.



House Republicans are inserting provisions that undermine the health care law into a short-term spending measure needed to avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1 and into legislation that would increase the government's borrowing ability, which the Treasury says will hit its limit in mid-October.



Obama says, quote, "that's not going to happen as long as I'm president." He says critics are, quote, "threatening steps that actually would hurt our entire economy."



President Barack Obama is promoting the benefits of his health care law before new insurance exchanges open for business next week.



The White House says Obama will explain Thursday how Americans can comparison shop for insurance that meets their needs. He plans to tell an audience at a community college in Largo, Md., that they'll have lots of options, including plans that are affordable on a variety of budgets.



A six-month enrollment period for the exchanges starts Tuesday. The Obama administration needs millions of Americans - especially young, healthy people - to sign up in order to keep costs low for everyone.



Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who wants the law repealed, dismissed Obama's planned speech as "happy talk." He said skeptical Americans were tuning Obama out.