Obama blames Republicans for $83b of 'dumb' budget cuts US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has ordered $US85 billion ($A83 billion) in budget cuts that could slow the US economy and slash jobs, after blaming Republicans for refusing to stop the "dumb" spending cuts. Mr Obama has accused Republicans of inflicting "unnecessary and inexcusable" damage on the American economy and demonising him rather than attempting to strike a budget deal. He attempted to lay blame squarely at the feet of his opponents. "We should not be making a series of dumb, arbitrary cuts to things like education, research and defence," Mr Obama said. The so-called "sequestration" cut was designed in 2011 to be so unpalatable that leaders from both parties would be forced to agree another deal to reduce America's $845 billion budget deficit. Talks between Mr Obama and congressional leaders again failed to reach anything close to an agreement, after Republicans rejected his demands to close tax loopholes for high earners before cutting benefit programs and overhauling the US tax code. Warning that the cuts could reduce US growth by half a percentage point this year and jeopardise 750,000 jobs, Mr Obama accused Republicans in Congress of forcing "pain" on ordinary Americans. While they refused to consider plans with which he won re-election last year, he said, "the majority of the American people agree with me - including, by the way, a majority of Republicans." He dismissed suggestions he might have done anything more to force a deal when the House of Representatives is under Republican control, saying: "I am not a dictator, I'm the President. Is there something I could do to make some of these guys - the House Republican caucus - not paint horns on my head? He urged a "caucus of common sense" in Washington to speak up instead. John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, dismissed Mr Obama's claims, saying he would not budge on the issue of new taxes. "The discussion on revenue is over," he said. Rejecting Mr Obama's suggestion his plan was backed by a majority of the public, Mr Boehner said: "The American people know that Washington has a spending problem." Both sides agree the sequester is a blunt instrument to cut spending, as it does not distinguish between essential and wasteful programs - in what Mr Obama (right) has branded a "meat-cleaver" approach. The immediate impact of the cuts on the public was uncertain. They would carve 5 per cent from domestic agencies and 8 per cent from the Pentagon between now and October 1 but would leave several major schemes alone. The cuts to the US Defence Department would endanger the military's ability to conduct its missions, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel warned. "This uncertainty puts at risk our ability to effectively fulfil all of our missions," said Mr Hagel, whose agency's budget is set to be slashed by about $US46 billion ($A45 billion). In contrast with his predecessor, Leon Panetta, who branded the cuts a "doomsday mechanism" and "fiscal castration," Mr Hagel was more measured. But he made clear what he thought would be the consequences of the so-called "sequester" on the military. Defence officials say they will be forced to reduce the working week of 800,000 civilian employees, scale back flight hours of warplanes and postpone equipment maintenance. The deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf has also been cancelled. So entrenched are the two parties that chaplain Barry Black opened a Senate session during the week with a prayer that beseeched a higher power to intervene. "Rise up, O God, and save us from ourselves," he said.