President Obama put Republicans on notice Wednesday that he will reject any fiscal deal that only spares the Pentagon from budget cuts.

Seeking party unity, Obama met with congressional Democrats in both chambers to prepare them for the budget battle that will greet them in the fall.

His message was unequivocal: no negotiating with Republicans on a debt-ceiling increase and no reductions in the sequester cuts to defense unless domestic programs are spared as well.

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“He’s not going to accept sequestration restoration for the military any greater than in domestic. He’s not going to negotiate on the debt ceiling,” Sen. Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (N.Y.), the third-ranking member of the Democratic leadership, told reporters after Senate Democrats met with Obama in a room off the Senate floor.

The meetings took place shortly before White House chief of staff Denis McDonough Denis Richard McDonoughThe swamp wasn't drained — it expanded Susan Rice calls for Flynn-Kislyak transcripts to be released GOP seeks to go on offense using Flynn against Biden MORE and deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors met with a group of Senate Republicans to discuss the possibility of a deficit-reduction deal later this year.

Sens. John McCain John Sidney McCainKelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks Trump pulls into must-win Arizona trailing in polls MORE (Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Loeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Quinnipiac poll shows Graham, Harrison tied in South Carolina Senate race MORE (S.C.), the leaders of the GOP group, want to relieve defense programs from tens of billions of dollars in cuts.

But Obama made clear there’s no deal to be had unless Republicans agree to boost funding for other domestic programs that have fallen victim to the sequester’s ax.

The president told Democrats that stimulating the economy should take priority over reducing the deficit. He argued that even as the federal deficit has dropped faster than projected, unemployment has remained stubbornly high.

“Yes, acknowledge the role of public debt, but the public debt is coming down. What is not coming down as fast as we want is the unemployment,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski Barbara Ann MikulskiForeign policy congressional committees need to call more women experts Lobbying World Only four Dem senators have endorsed 2020 candidates MORE (D-Md.), the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Obama gave lawmakers a sneak preview of what he would talk about while he travels the country in the coming weeks.

“We talked about his message on the road, his whole ideas of jobs, education, a secure environment and implementing ObamaCare,” Mikulski added.

White House aides passed out cards inscribed with the president’s August message. Entitled “A Better Bargain for the Middle Class,” it touted a five-point plan for job creation, education, mortgage accessibility, retirement security and affordable healthcare.

Democrats said there is broad support within their caucuses for the president’s tough negotiating approach.

“We’re not giving in on the debt-limit issue,” Sen. Mark Begich Mark Peter BegichAlaska group backing independent candidate appears linked to Democrats Sullivan wins Alaska Senate GOP primary Alaska political mess has legislators divided over meeting place MORE (D-Alaska) said.

Obama’s entrenched position sets up a bruising budget fight when Congress returns to work in September.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (Ky.) has worked hard this week to whip his colleagues to vote against the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill because its spending levels do not reflect the automatic cuts known as sequestration.

House Republicans have crafted spending bills that restore funding to defense programs by making cuts to domestic programs. Obama made clear Wednesday those bills would face staunch Democratic resistance.

House Republicans suffered a setback Wednesday when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Eric Ivan CantorThe Hill's Campaign Report: Florida hangs in the balance Eric Cantor teams up with former rival Dave Brat in supporting GOP candidate in former district Bottom line MORE (R-Va.) pulled his chamber’s version of the transportation spending bill off the floor.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the outcome shows that the lower chamber is not willing to accept steep cuts to domestic programs to shore up defense.

Rogers cautioned, however, that Congress is also unlikely to approve the higher spending levels advocated by the Senate.

Raising the debt limit promises to be another nasty fight. Conservative Senate Republicans say they will not agree to extend the country’s borrowing authority unless Obama signs off on a plan putting the federal budget on a path to balance over the next decade.

Obama rejected that demand in Wednesday’s meeting.

Some Democrats said leaders should not postpone the budget showdown to the fall, when limited time is likely to force a round of intense brinkmanship.

Sen. Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerIntelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Overnight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats MORE (D-Va.) said Congress should skip its August recess.

“We haven’t got a budget deal. We don’t have appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. We’ve got this crazy word called ‘sequestration,’ ” Warner said in an interview on MSNBC. “We ought to stay here and do our work.”

Lawmakers used the rare meeting with Obama to raise other issues.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Cynthia (Jeanne) Jeanne ShaheenSenate Democrats introduce bill to sanction Russians over Taliban bounties Trump-backed candidate wins NH GOP Senate primary to take on Shaheen Democratic senator urges Trump to respond to Russian aggression MORE (D-N.H.) suggested that Obama assign his vaunted political analytics team, which helped him win reelection in 2012, to solving the backlog of cases at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to Democrats familiar with the meeting. Obama suggested she get in touch with his chief of staff.

Sen. Mary Landrieu Mary Loretta LandrieuBottom line A decade of making a difference: Senate Caucus on Foster Youth Congress needs to work to combat the poverty, abuse and neglect issues that children face MORE (D-La.), who faces a difficult reelection next year, grilled Obama on his administration’s handling of permitting for the Keystone XL pipeline, according to senators who attended.

Landrieu noted that more than 60 senators support the pipeline’s approval and asked why the administration hasn’t given it a green light yet.

Obama remained noncommittal on the controversial pipeline and played down projections that it could have a dramatic effect on the economy.

“He was very careful about not telegraphing his decision,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon WhitehouseRestaurant owner defends calamari as 'bipartisan' after Democratic convention appearance Warren calls on McConnell to bring Senate back to address Postal Service Senate Democrats demand answers on migrant child trafficking during pandemic MORE (D-R.I.) said. “But he showed a healthy skepticism about the exaggerated economic arguments supporting it.”

Sen. Ron Wyden Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high Republican Senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal Hillicon Valley: TikTok, Oracle seek Trump's approval as clock winds down | Hackers arrested for allegedly defacing U.S. websites after death of Iranian general | 400K people register to vote on Snapchat MORE (D-Ore.) said Obama, anticipating the concerns of senators, raised the touchy subject of the National Security Agency’s surveillance of U.S. citizens.

Obama emphasized that there have not been any instances of the spy agency abusing its power or intruding on privacy without justification. Offering an olive branch to his Senate critics, he proposed meeting with them to discuss the programs in detail.

— Mike Lillis and Erik Wasson contributed to this report.