Eric Cantor: Congress Will Avoid Government Shutdown With Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON -- Congress will take up a continuing resolution to fund the government on the week of Sept. 19, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told reporters on Wednesday, which could prevent a government shutdown caused by Congress not passing appropriations bills by the new fiscal year.

House Republicans hoped to move through the normal budget process, but delays in passing the 12 appropriations bills makes this virtually impossible by the Sept. 30 deadline. Instead, Cantor confirmed there will be a continuing resolution to fund the government after the current continuing resolution runs out on Sept. 30.

The bill will likely take government funding through "late fall," Cantor said, declining to comment on specific dates.

The bill should cut discretionary spending by about $7 billion, according to a deal set in place during the debt ceiling increase in August. But some House Republicans would like to see further cuts as part of the upcoming bill.

In an Aug. 17 memo, he hinted at the upcoming tension over whether -- and how much -- to cut spending as part of the upcoming continuing resolution.

"While all of us would like to have seen a lower discretionary appropriations ceiling for the upcoming fiscal year, the debt limit agreement did set a level of spending that is a real cut from the current year level," he reminded his members. "I believe it is in our interest to enact into law full-year appropriations bills at this new lower level."

Comments

[sunset8000]

11:44 PM on 09/21/2011

I like Cantor. He is my kind of guy

[SamBaby]

07:14 PM on 09/21/2011

Mr President - You will only have to shut down the government once and you will be rid of all these threats.

[sunset8000]

11:44 PM on 09/21/2011

I hope they do not shut down the post office for saturday

[gts31bumbee]

10:47 AM on 09/09/2011

It is a shame you have such an aversion to the obvious truth. Deflect, bend or ignore; typical juvenile repug. method to rewrite history. It just won't stick. How about some facts that refute? I'll five you credit for knowing the meaning of refute. Now facts could be still a challenge !

[JDZSB]

12:51 AM on 09/09/2011

Eric Cantor is the only real leader in Congress trying to bring some reasonable level of fiscal responsibility to Congress. You can criticize his methods, but he is trying to avoid another debt limit debacle and simply trying to get a budget approved, which the Obama administration has failed to do for over two years. The federal government is out of control as they just keep borrowing and spending without constraint. When the Republicans attempted to use the debt limit to limit spending, they were demonized and called all kinds of names including terrorists. So the debt limit was raised, the administration is spending at an annual deficit level of $1.5Trillion and growing. The credit rating of our country was just downgraded for thvfirst time in our history. Any American who doesn't see that we are headed forva financial disaster is in denial and is not facing reality. Eric Cantor knows we are in trouble and is a part of the solution, not the problem.

[Badwater]

10:41 AM on 09/09/2011

How hard is it for him to avoid another debt limit debacle since he helped manufacture the first one? He is using threats to force his harmful agenda down everyones' throats.

[kamact]

09:24 PM on 09/08/2011

I hope this guy falls hard

[c lisciv]

12:43 PM on 09/08/2011

someone should tell this jerk to look for a job YOUR FIRED

[mac2jr]

10:41 AM on 09/08/2011

People seem to have forgotten why they are angry at government and its spending. Years ago the people complained that they wanted 'Government Waste', removed and taxes lowered. Will they got the Taxes Lowered during the early years of the last administration, but the administration FAILED to eliminate Government Waste, and if fact added many trillions of dollars of extra debt with almost useless security programs, medicare part D programs, stupid wars, and stupider giveaways to dictators in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and other countries.

We need to get back to the basic reasons for our discontent, which is not killing off retirement programs for people that spent a lifetime working to BUILD AMERICA into what was a great country.

[dayzee10]

10:40 AM on 09/08/2011

Eric"maggot" Cantor reminds me of every know-it-all middle manager I have ever met. Big mouth,limited practical education,and severely lacking in any human compassion. Come to think of it the Retealibanbaggerican Party is loaded with these types

[Israelibabs]

10:20 AM on 09/08/2011

This man gives meaning to treason. It's one thing to disagree, but another to keep trying to shut down government for your own profit.

[AndyatHP]

10:19 AM on 09/08/2011

He wont help disaster victims. he partially causes these budget fiascos, then runs away. Dont let him off the hook. he said what he said. I am from virginia, and we need to replace this mean spirited, do/say anything to get reelected politician.

[picval]

10:10 AM on 09/08/2011

I have no idea where my America went......we used to do what is best for ALL OF US! Now its all about getting the other guy out. This is no way to run...........anything!

[Clevelandinwi]

10:09 AM on 09/08/2011

can'tor's way of getting in the news.

[boscobear]

09:11 AM on 09/08/2011

If the voters of Wis and VA don't do anything else in the 2012 election but throw these whiners-Cantor and Ryan- they will have done the US a great service,

[JRCNSSWV]

08:45 AM on 09/08/2011

One wonders how such a vastly stupid, inconsiderate, man without a soul could have made it this far in life.

Eric Cantor is a prime example of why the Congress of the United States, particularly the House of Representatives enjoys a virtual negligable approval rating.

His District in Virginia, either have blinders on....or are clones of this moron.

[c lisciv]

12:48 PM on 09/08/2011

clones of thisMORON

[drpmindmender]

06:52 AM on 09/08/2011

This isn't ever likely to happen, but it might wake up our elected officials if ALL of the media would refuse to pay any attention to them until they actually DO something.

"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin