President Barack Obama blames government shutdown on 'ideological crusade'

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday blamed Republicans for an "ideological crusade" aimed at his health care programme and urged lawmakers to vote to keep government operations running without conditions.

"They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans," he said in remarks in the White House Rose Garden.

"Many Representatives have made it clear that had they been allowed by Speaker (John) Boehner to take a simple up or down vote on keeping government open with no strings attached, enough votes from both parties would have kept the American people's government open and operating," he said.