House Republican leaders ramped up the rhetoric Monday, signaling a breakdown in negotiations over a long-term budget compromise. House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) continued to refute Democratic claims that an agreement had been reached on a dollar amount — $33 billion — for spending cuts to be included in the bill. He also chided Democrats for trying to achieve spending reductions through budgetary gimmicks — for example, by “cutting” from “unobligated balances” — to water down the deal.
“I’ve made clear that their $33 billion is not enough and many of the cuts that the White House and Senate Democrats are talking about are full of smoke and mirrors,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”
Suggesting that the probability of a government shutdown had increased, GOP leaders sought to lay the blame at Democrats’ feet. “If the government shuts down, it will be because Senate Democrats failed to do their job,” Boehner said.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) joined in: “If the Democrats demand to defend every dime of government spending and force a government shutdown, that will be on their hands.”
As did Republican Conference chairman Jeb Hensarling (R., Texas): “If a government shutdown occurs, it will be because Democrats failed the American people by propping up meaningless smoke and mirrors instead of taking our nation’s spending-driven debt crisis seriously.”
House Appropriations chairman Hal Rogers (R. Ky.) went after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.): “[S]enator Reid is attempting to abuse the budget process and limit the ability of Appropriations negotiators to complete their work — dictating the use of gimmicks and phony accounting to sneak more spending through the Congress and by the American people.”
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats to continue to paint a rosy picture of the ongoing talks — indicating that progress has been made in over the past several days — while simultaneously trying to drive a wedge between Boehner and the “extreme” Tea Party. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said that GOP leadership must “decide whether it will do what the Tea Party wants it to do or what the country needs it to do. I’m hopeful they’ll make the right choice and we can come to a timely agreement.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) laid on the passive-aggressive snark, insisting that the $33 billion number had been privately agreed to, but suggesting that Boehner was simply making a fuss in order to appease the Tea Party. “A compromise on the budget is right there for the taking, assuming the Speaker still wants one,” he said. We take it for granted that because of the intense political pressure being applied by the Tea Party, the Speaker needs to play an outside game as well as an inside game. As long as he continues to negotiate, it’s OK by us if he needs to strike a different pose publicly.”
“Differences may remain over where exactly the cuts should come from, but the only real question left is whether the political will exists to buck the Tea Party,” Schumer continued. “At this point, we are so far down the road towards an agreement, and so little time remains before Friday’s deadline, that it would be a dramatic about-face for the Speaker to suddenly let things devolve into a shutdown, as many in the Tea Party are urging.”
Clearly, the two sides appear to be laying the political groundwork for a potential government shutdown, although a Republican aide tells NRO that both side were merely posturing ahead of meetings with their caucuses tonight and Tuesday morning. However, the aide acknowledged concern within the party that a deal based on $33 billion in spending cuts would be difficult to sell to members, particularly freshman.
Leaders from both parties are set to meet with President Obama at the White House tomorrow in the hopes of ironing out a compromise. Otherwise, we could be headed for a shutdown.