http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/325549-senate-democrats-reject-one-week-stopgap-to-avoid-shutdownSenate Dems reject one-week stopgap to avoid shutdown
By Alexander Bolton - 09/30/13 03:28 PM ET
Senate Democratic leaders on Monday vowed to reject any proposal to extend government funding by only a week, as several Republicans have proposed.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) balked at the idea of extending government funding by only a few days, setting up another showdown in early October.
“The Senate’s bill is a short-term extensions. That’s what it is,” Reid said, referring to the Senate bill that extends funding to Nov. 15.
Reid argued that passing a shorter-term proposal would create instability and tarnish the nation’s reputation on the world stage.
“If we can’t pass this, we’re only truly entering a banana republic mindset,” he said.
“The threat of shutting down every week?” asked Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.). “We’re dealing with this image of a banana republic lurching from every seven days whether we’re going to have a government.”
Democratic leaders called on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to put the Senate stopgap on the House floor, predicting it would pass overwhelmingly with centrist Republican and Democratic votes.
"The fate of the country depends on the House being able to vote, the House, all members of the House of Representatives,” said Reid. “I hope that John Boehner makes a responsible decision, one that’s good for the country.”