Republican Senator Ted Cruz is pointing the finger at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid -- telling NBC's Meet the Press that Reid is forcing a government shut down because he refuses to negotiate on the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare."

. SOUNDBITE(English) REPUBLICAN SENATOR TED CRUZ SAYING:

"So far, Majority Leader Harry Reid has essentially told the House of Representatives and the American people 'go jump in a lake.' He said 'I'm not willing to compromise, I'm not willing to even talk.' His position is 100 percent of Obamacare must be funded in all instances and other than that, he's going to shut the government down."

Cruz says Obamacare is hurting the economy.

SOUNDBITE(English) REPUBLICAN SENATOR TED CRUZ SAYING:

"Every survey that's done in this country, the top priority of the American people is jobs and the economy. Under Harry Reid's senate, we don't even talk about jobs and the economy. Obamacare is the biggest job killer in this count