Senate and House conservatives are huddling with tax and fiscal groups Wednesday to map a strategy to block Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid from shutting down the government before the election–and blaming Republicans.
“The goal is to take the shutdown cudgel out of Reid’s hands by settling the government funding for the rest of the year,” said a source familiar with the meeting of conservative leaders including Tea Party leader Sen. Jim DeMint and Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan and outside groups like Americans for Tax Reform and the Heritage Foundation.
The initial plan would have conservatives reverse course and OK higher discretionary spending of $1.047 trillion in a continuing resolution if the Senate, which hasn’t passed a spending budget in three years, agreed.
At a minimum Republicans want the House to OK the plan to make it harder for Reid to claim that the Republicans aren’t willing to deal. He is expected to push for tax increases to the point of shutting down the government before the election or, in a lame duck session, at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
“Conservatives are willing to compromise on a continuing resolution now in hopes of preventing a lame duck session or, at the very least, limiting the damage liberals can do in a lame duck,” added the GOP source.
