White House open to short-term funding bill to prevent shutdown

[mystery-ak]

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/253706-white-house-open-to-short-term-funding-bill-to-prevent-shutdown

 By Jordan Fabian - 09/15/15 03:01 PM EDT

The White House on Wednesday indicated it is open to accepting a short-term funding bill that keeps in place spending caps in order to avert a government shutdown.

Press secretary Josh Earnest said a stopgap measure would not conflict with President Obama’s pledge to veto any budget resolution that locks in limits on defense and domestic spending, known as sequestration.

“I think we would perceive an internal contradiction between the word ‘short term’ and ‘lock in,’ Earnest told reporters.

Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are locked in a stalemate over a budget agreement to keep the government open ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to pass spending bills.

Further complicating negotiations, a group of conservative lawmakers in the House of Representatives has pledged to oppose any spending bills that fund Planned Parenthood due to a brewing controversy over its fetal tissue program.

Obama and his Democratic allies have insisted they will not accept funding bills that keep sequestration spending caps in place. But Republicans are wary of raising spending levels, especially during in the midst of the 2016 presidential race.

Some Republicans favor lifting caps on defense spending, but not domestic programs, a solution the White House has called unacceptable.

Negotiators in the Senate have floated a short-term measure that maintains current spending levels to buy more time for both parties to reach a deal.

Obama will appear before executives at a meeting of the Business Roundtable on Wednesday to warn Republicans of the economic consequences of a government shutdown.

“Republicans in Congress need to do the job the voters have asked them to do, and that is to pass a budget that reverses the harmful cuts known as the sequester and, of course, avoids another government shutdown,” Earnest said.

 

[Godzilla]

Let's play a game called "Let's Make a Deal".

To Republicans:  Do you want something like the removal of defense spending caps?  What are you willing to trade for it?

To Democrats:  Do you want something like the removal of domestic spending caps?  What are you willing to trade for it?

To both:  Time for some horse-trading...

[alicewonders]

I'm in favor of an across the board cut, like one percent from every department.  Don't tell me there isn't any fat to trim in any department.

[libertybele]

Let's play a game called "Let's Make a Deal".

To Republicans:  Do you want something like the removal of defense spending caps?  What are you willing to trade for it?

To Democrats:  Do you want something like the removal of domestic spending caps?  What are you willing to trade for it?

To both:  Time for some horse-trading...

How about we quit playing this game of "smoke and mirrors" and get down to business. The Democrats feel that he "shutdown" in in their political interest and has the liberal media on their side of course. In reality, only about 15% of government spending actually shuts down, leaving around 85% of "necessary spending" (i.e, social security, medicare) in tact.  If you recall in the last "shut down" the DEMS tried to make it as ridiculous as possible in focusing in on the shut down to the World War II memorial to make their point.

I really find it difficult to comprehend after viewing Planned Parenthood video clips showing the selling of fetal tissue and body parts from late term abortions that there is even an "issue" as to whether or not to defund the organization.

[Godzilla]

How about we quit playing this game of "smoke and mirrors" and get down to business. The Democrats feel that he "shutdown" in in their political interest and has the liberal media on their side of course. In reality, only about 15% of government spending actually shuts down, leaving around 85% of "necessary spending" (i.e, social security, medicare) in tact.  If you recall in the last "shut down" the DEMS tried to make it as ridiculous as possible in focusing in on the shut down to the World War II memorial to make their point.

I really find it difficult to comprehend after viewing Planned Parenthood video clips showing the selling of fetal tissue and body parts from late term abortions that there is even an "issue" as to whether or not to defund the organization.

If I were President, I'd have nipped this tendency in the bud.

In other words, I'd have turned off the mandatory payments - no Social Security, no Medicare, no Medicaid.  I'd have recalled all US troops worldwide and told them that their contracts are null and void.  And I'd have gone home, as a government not funded is no government at all.

[Bigun]

Let's play a game called the republican Congress does it's job passing a spending bill and tells the democrats to like it or lump it because that's all you're getting.

[bkepley]

Let's play a game called the republican Congress does it's job passing a spending bill and tells the democrats to like it or lump it because that's all you're getting.

I'm all for that.  Up until now though Obama has wanted exactly that but I believe he will be be wrong to think he will win.  Now is the time to strike.

[EC]

pass a budget that reverses the harmful cuts known as the sequester and, of course, avoids another government shutdown,

Dos anyone even bother any more to point out those cuts were Obama's idea? If not, why not?

[Godzilla]

Dos anyone even bother any more to point out those cuts were Obama's idea? If not, why not?

We don't get out of it that easily.  We are in control of the House and the Senate and the Democrats realize the harm of the cuts.

To say now that it was Obama's idea is to then ask, "What are you doing to reverse it, then?  Nobody is stopping you.  Even the Democrats would vote to end sequestration."

[jmyrlefuller]

Dos anyone even bother any more to point out those cuts were Obama's idea? If not, why not?

Because they haven't been anywhere near as devastating as originally predicted?

Unfortunately, they haven't really been as effective, either, since we're still quite far away from a balanced budget.