With just hours to go before the federal government is shuttered for lack of funding, Republicans and Democrats staged a series of dueling press conferences to point fingers of blame at each other for thwarting a budget agreement.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, emerged from a closed-door meeting with his rank and file Friday afternoon to announce that that the two sides differ on how much money to cut from the final six months of the 2011 budget.
Boehner’s assessment of the negotiations was at odds with claims made by Senate Democrats, who said the GOP had approved a final number on cuts, but was insisting on including a policy rider in the bill that would de-fund Planned Parenthood, which provides health services to women, including abortions.
“Almost all of the policy riders have been dealt with, but there is no agreement on spending,” Boehner said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters both sides had signed off on a final deal on cuts at the White House last night – somewhere in the neighborhood of $37 billion – and only Planned Parenthood funding stands in the way of a budget deal. Reid said the far right of the Republican Party is forcing the GOP leadership to hold out for the provision to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
“John Boehner is having a difficult time with his caucus,” Reid surmised to reporters.
Republicans were apparently willing to give in on dozens of other contentious riders in the budget bill, including provisions to eliminate funding for the new health care reform law and to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
“We basically said we wouldn’t budge on the EPA riders,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said.
Schumer said Senate Democrats are preparing a week-long spending bill that cuts $2 billion and funds the troops for the remainder of the year. The legislation could be quickly passed if the two sides cut a deal on a long-term plan but need a few extra days to get such a bill written and passed.
“If we are very close to an agreement, we will figure out a way to keep the government running,” Schumer said.
The two parties, meanwhile, continue to slate press conferences to blame each other for the looming shutdown.
Next up is House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who will hold a press conference this afternoon on “Republican refusal to compromise on spending.”
