Government Shutdown Threat: Budget Deal Remains Unreached

WASHINGTON--Washington is hurtling toward a government shutdown on Friday night as the time to agree on a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year grows very short.

Because of Senate rules, Democrats could be forced to break two GOP filibusters in order to pass a spending bill, and each vote requires a 30-hour delay. Government funding expires on Friday night, meaning that if negotiators don't reach a deal by the end of today or early tomorrow, just one Republican senator could stall the vote until the deadline arrives.

If the talks Tuesday between House Republicans and the White House are any guide, the two parties are a long way from a deal. House Republicans emerged from the White House telling reporters that they are committed to finding a solution to the impasse, but were unwilling to do it unless the White House and Senate Democrats agree to cuts beyond the $33 billion level that had previously been floated.

"The Speaker told the president that the House will not be put in a box and forced to choose between two options that are bad for the country (accepting a bad deal that fails to make real spending cuts, or accepting a government shutdown due to Senate inaction)," a summary of the meeting provided to reporters by House Republican leadership read.

The House has instead proposed a one-week spending bill that would cut government spending by $12 billion while funding the military through the end of September, when the fiscal year ends.

House Democrats quickly rejected the offer. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters it was time to put an end to the "sporadic, episodic" stop-gap bills and reach a final agreement. He said that Democrats would whip opposition to the House bill if it is brought to the floor.

House Republicans aren't willing to take yes for an answer, Hoyer said, and were demanding far more than they were entitled by their partial control of the government, noting that Democrats control the Senate and White House. "You would think if you're going to reach a compromise, we get two, they get one," he said. " It appears that one side doesn't want to compromise."

Comments

[Patriot66]

05:49 PM on 04/08/2011

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/ Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Teabaggers you should have never messed with a womans right to choose.

[TchallaMark]

05:08 PM on 04/08/2011

The Democrats in the Senate should put through a fair solid bill that is agreeable to democrats, independents, and some Republicians (they will disagree regardless) and allow the public to read and understand the bill while the Rupublicians stand in front of the Senate filler-budgeting the bill for 30hr to no end.

Fair minded people will see the true obstruction of the can't-do politics of the GOP. Hopefully that bill and the GOP politics will end the party "if you aren't with us, you're against us" politics.

[Patriot66]

05:54 PM on 04/08/2011

I agree, you are on the right track. All I would add is that the Dems have to get out in front of the message, and all the Dems have to get their talking points down.

[ed56]

04:45 PM on 04/08/2011

Tea Party leader Judson phillips said "The Democrats are willing to shut the government down and deny pay to our military people so that their constituencies can continue to kill babies and plunder the public treasury."

On the other hand, Harry Reid shrieked that "Republicans wanted to keep women from getting cancer screenings", Jesse Jackson said the "budget shut down was a continuation of the civil war" and Nancy Pelosi said the "GOP was going to kill 6,000,000 seniors". Then she cut it to 3,000,000.

And people wonder why we don't get excited over rhetoric anymore? Need to find a good movie to cozy up with tonight.

[Debbie Greene]

10:55 AM on 04/08/2011

Maybe we should cut the high 6 digit salaries of the people making these decisions. Did they think to put a salary cut in the budget this year for them? Or did they get a raise? Put the money to helping the poor, paying our servicemen more for what they do for us, and making sure our children get a good education.

[Ana4]

01:55 PM on 04/10/2011

I agree, and we need to keep reminding them of what we deem reasonable expenditures. Thank you for adding your voice.

[Birddog 2012]

09:59 AM on 04/08/2011

I love it. Now the entire country has the opportunity to witness first hand WHY government by 'The People' is better than government by ideology-Goodby GOP Tea Party!

birddog

[Enock Zamora]

07:53 AM on 04/08/2011

John Boehner is toast if he does not know what side his bread is buttered on, and it ain't the Tea-Baggers that butter his toast, but they are the ones that will cook his goose. John Boehner belongs in the 'Hall of Shame'.

[Onlygodknowswhy]

04:57 AM on 04/08/2011

I wish I got taxed like a rich person.
I could take my mother out for lunch and tk abkut the business a little bit.
Then the tax payer pays for it as I write it off.
Then if you open a company you get 15000 dollars of tax payers money for your companies vehicles.

[Skydave]

08:18 AM on 04/08/2011

Just like GE, one of the biggest companies in the USA, they paid absolutly "NO" taxes in 2010 and they made BILLIONS in profit. Go figure.

[ed56]

05:05 PM on 04/08/2011

Ahhhh tell me how you do this, since I have my own business, and can only deduct mileage used in business and only bonified travel expenses. BTW, for travel expenses, I can only benefit at my tax rate, which averages 15%, so if have to tavel out of town and buy a Big Mac Meal Deal, I pay around $5.10, get the benefit of $0.90 as a deduction. Lovely!

[Onlygodknowswhy]

04:52 AM on 04/08/2011

The teapublicans dont care hell its what is taught in business school.
The workers are replacable.
When a company get into trouble you throw the workers out so you get the big bonus.
Hundreds of millions of dollars here you go thanks for tanking the company.
Wow big bonuses for the ceo that frucked up the company.
That sounds fair.
But no on top of it all they get more tax cuts for them.
Them poor ceos there having a hard time with millions.
Boy id like to have there problems.

[Alex Coukoulis]

10:53 PM on 04/07/2011

all of you, this arguing is like running in the special olympics, even if you win, your still retarted

[linc]

12:25 AM on 04/08/2011

Not funny and you spelled retarded wrong.

[SlinkyG]

12:51 AM on 04/08/2011

What an insult to the athletes of the special olympics! Hopefully some day you will crawl out from under your rock, you idiot. And learn how to spell please.

[brunoflb]

09:36 PM on 04/07/2011

Remember bringing back all our troops. TOTAL LIE. How are we paying for this?????

[brunoflb]

09:34 PM on 04/07/2011

Both parties arguing about medicaid or medicare are .08% of our budget. What about the bail out of wall street with fraudulent casino like derivatives that we spent 7 TRILLION with no account ability or will who got the money and where it went. It's the shell game. Both parties suck and are screwing us. Wait when the Us dollar will not be the world money base for trade. Get your wheel barrels full of dollars to buy bread.

[shortandwide]

07:09 PM on 04/07/2011

I have seen this Republican power trip of demands before.
You have too!
Think back to when W. supporters demanded everybody support G.W. Bush's war of choice, invasion of Iraq.
They were shouting, Support Bush! Support Bush! Support Bush!
Does any honest person still believe a thing (if you believed W's and the R's. b.s.) that W.and the republicans said regarding the reasons they were taking us into a war of choice with Iraq? The republicans demanded everybody to fall in line with them and do as they say and do as they demanded. No exceptions tollerated.You risked retaliation if you did. I personally was threatened for not beleiving W. and the R's.
They shouted and shouted and shouted. They demanded and demanded and demanded we support Bush.
This "Shut it down,shut it down shut it down" power trip that is being shouted and shouted and shouted and demanded and demanded and demanded by republicans is the same old song and dance. It's the same unreasonable brainwashed people who refuse to listen to others yet they demand you listen to and obey them.
The republicans were wrong then,they are wrong now.
Yeah, I've seen this power trip before! So have you! It's just ten years later.

[Ana4]

02:03 PM on 04/10/2011

You're right; yes, they are bullies.

[Debbie Wathen Clute]

06:48 PM on 04/07/2011

All of the legislators are corporate owned, sick & tired of this charade game. I would love to know if the Democrats had held on to the majority in both houses if O'bama would have still given the wealthy their tax cuts. That's the 64 thousand dollar question.

[Debbie Wathen Clute]

06:43 PM on 04/07/2011

The problem is most voters pay absolutely no attention to politics until something " bad " affects them, then they haven't got a clue. " Everyone should make an effort to keep up with what is going on up on the hill. They should also be getting their info from many sources & not just one.

[Debbie Wathen Clute]

06:38 PM on 04/07/2011

Seems like we were just here with the tax cuts for the wealthy, de jevu!