–Senate Majority Leader Says GOP Continues To Change ‘Bottom Line’
–Sen. Reid: House GOP Is Still Pushing ‘Partisan’ Budget
–Sen. McConnell: Dems Have ‘Taken A Pass’ On Tough Decisions
–Sen. McConnell: Democrats Are ‘Rooting’ For A Government Shutdown
By John Shaw
WASHINGTON (MNI) – Beginning the day with a hard line stance,
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Wednesday said House Speaker John
Boehner must now choose between a reasonable compromise on a final 2011
fiscal year spending bill and a government shutdown at the end of the
week.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Reid did little to provide hope
that an agreement is within sight.
Reid said talks on the FY’11 budget are occurring “nonstop” and are
“constantly evolving.”
“We want to avoid a shutdown. We want to pass a budget that makes
smart cuts, cuts that save money but that doesn’t cost jobs,” Reid said,
referring to Democrats.
But he accused Republicans of constantly shifting their position on
the FY’11 budget.
“It’s like trying to kick a field goal and the goal post keeps
moving. Democrats’ bottom line has not changed. Republicans’ bottom line
hasn’t stayed still,” Reid said.
The Senate Majority Leader said that rather than seeking a
bipartisan compromise budget, Republican leaders are “actively seeking
the opposite.”
He said House Republican leaders are under fierce pressure from the
Tea Party wing of the GOP to avoid a budget compromise.
Speaking after Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed
Democrats for the budget impasse, charging that Democrats have “taken a
pass” on key fiscal issues.
He accused Democrats of “rooting” for a government shutdown.
The 2011 fiscal year began on Oct. 1 and the government has run on
six short-term funding bills.
Congress’ most recent temporary spending bill for the 2011 fiscal
year will keep the federal government funded until Friday.
Despite all of the public rancor, there have been indications of
some quiet efforts to secure an agreement.
There are reports that House Republicans might be willing to accept
a final FY’11 spending bill that cuts spending by $40 billion. This is
well below the $61 billion they have been publicly demanding, but larger
than the $33 billion in cuts that Democrats claim had been agreed to.
Boehner said Tuesday that House Republicans are seeking “the
largest spending cuts possible.”
Boehner said here has never been an agreement on $33 billion in
spending cuts as Democratic leaders have said. He added that Democrats
propose reaching this spending cut goal by employing “smoke and
mirrors.”
“We want an agreement,” he said, adding “our goal is to keep the
government open.”
House Republicans have drafted another temporary spending bill that
would fund the Pentagon for the rest of FY’11 and fund the rest of the
government for one week while cutting an additional $12 billion.
Reid dismissed this plan as a “non-starter.”
** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **
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