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GOP's Price To Delay Shutdown? $12B
| Source: |
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Politico |
| Date: |
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011 |
| Author: |
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DAVID ROGERS and JOHN BRESNAHAN |
President Barack Obama called top lawmakers to the White House for a meeting Tuesday, even as House Republicans edged closer to a real government shutdown Friday if the GOP’s demands for domestic spending cuts are not immediately met.
A draft bill being prepared by the House Appropriations Committee on Monday night would put the Defense Department on permanent footing through the end of this fiscal year but require $12 billion in new cuts as the price for keeping domestic agencies and the State Department operating another week.
The GOP proposal would also include a provision “preventing both federal and local funds from being used to provide abortions in the District of Columbia,” according to a statement from the Appropriations Committee.
Whether this blunderbuss will be really fired—or kept as a threat—was unclear. But the turn of events Monday was ominous given the short time left before funding runs out Friday.
The day began with Obama extending his invitation for the White House meeting and negotiators were hoping for final decisions from the leadership to finish a bill before Friday’s funding cutoff. Instead Republicans came out blasting, venting their frustration with a flurry of accusatory press releases aimed at the White House — but even more so at Senate Democrats.
At a special party caucus Monday night, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) set out a range of options for the GOP, including a shutdown scenario and the new funding resolution.
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