WASHINGTON (AP) -- With time growing short, President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that he remains confident that a government shutdown can be avoided this weekend if negotiators can build on constructive talks held at the White House.
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Differences remain despite the progress, but Obama announced that talks would continue through the night in hopes of avoiding a government shutdown this weekend.
"It's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency," Obama said, "to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown."
Obama emerged before reporters to declare his differences with the House Republicans were narrowing but that both sides were still stuck in an impasse.
"I thought the meetings were frank, they were constructive, and what they did was narrow the issues and clarify the issues that are still outstanding," Obama said. "I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done, we should be able to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown. But it's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency from all parties involved.'"`
After the White House session, Boehner said, "We did have a productive conversation this evening. We do have some honest differences, but I do think we made some progress. But I want to reiterate: There is no agreement on a number and there's no agreement on the policy matters. But there's an attempt on both sides to continue to work together to try to resolve this."
The pressure built Wednesday as Boehner announced House Republicans would approve a stopgap spending bill blending $12 billion in new domestic spending cuts with the full-year Pentagon budget as the price for keeping the government open for another week.
Boehner's move appeared aimed at shifting political blame if a shutdown occurs, but it angered Democrats who felt that talks were progressing.
"I think this is the responsible thing to do for the U.S. Congress, and I would hope the Senate can pass it and the president can sign it into law," Boehner said.
He also criticized Obama, though saying he likes the commander in chief personally. "The president isn't leading," Boehner said. "He didn't lead on last year's budget, and he's not leading on this year's budget."
Obama has already ruled out the weeklong measure Republicans intend to push through the House, and Senate Democrats have labeled it a non-starter. Republican officials said the details of the bill could yet change. But passage of any interim measure is designed to place the onus on the Democratic-controlled Senate to act if a shutdown is to be avoided.
Today 11:06 AM Details On Wednesday Night's Budget Negotiations 
HuffPost's Sam Stein reports:
WASHINGTON -- Congressional and Obama administration negotiators worked at the White House until nearly 2 a.m Thursday morning in an effort to finalize a budget deal that would stave off a government shutdown.
But while top aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) -- alongside the White House's director of legislative affairs, Rob Nabors -- were able to come to a closer understanding about the size of spending cuts, a major dispute remains over what type of policy amendments will be allowed in the final bill.
According to a top-ranking Democratic aide, the three parties met last night at the White House for about three and a half hours after President Barack Obama, Reid and Boehner held talks of their own.
The negotiations were productive, the aide said. Democrats agreed to add roughly $1.5 billion in spending cuts to the $33 billion to which they had already agreed. In exchange, they were told that the overall package of cuts would be restructured, with $3 billion in savings drawn from Pentagon spending rather than discretionary programs -- a priority for the Democratic negotiators, the aide said.
The forward movement ended there, however. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel stressed on Thursday morning that "there is no agreement on spending cuts." He also added that the two sides remained apart on policy issues.
Read the full report here.
WASHINGTON -- Congressional and Obama administration negotiators worked at the White House until nearly 2 a.m Thursday morning in an effort to finalize a budget deal that would stave off a government shutdown.
But while top aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) -- alongside the White House's director of legislative affairs, Rob Nabors -- were able to come to a closer understanding about the size of spending cuts, a major dispute remains over what type of policy amendments will be allowed in the final bill.
According to a top-ranking Democratic aide, the three parties met last night at the White House for about three and a half hours after President Barack Obama, Reid and Boehner held talks of their own.
The negotiations were productive, the aide said. Democrats agreed to add roughly $1.5 billion in spending cuts to the $33 billion to which they had already agreed. In exchange, they were told that the overall package of cuts would be restructured, with $3 billion in savings drawn from Pentagon spending rather than discretionary programs -- a priority for the Democratic negotiators, the aide said.
The forward movement ended there, however. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel stressed on Thursday morning that "there is no agreement on spending cuts." He also added that the two sides remained apart on policy issues.
Read the full report here.
Today 11:03 AM WATCH: Rep. Pence Slips, Says Trying To Score A Victory For Republicans
According to ThinkProgress, last night, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) slipped in explaining his position on funding the federal government to Fox News. Pence told host Greta Van Susteren, "we’re trying — we’re trying to score a victory for the Republican people, for — for the American — for the Republican people — trying to score a victory for the American people, not for the Republican Party."
More here.
WATCH:
More here.
WATCH:
Today 10:49 AM Boehner: Members Of Congress Shouldn't Be Paid During A Shutdown
George Stephanopoulos of ABC's "Good Morning America" spoke to Speaker Boehner about a possible government shutdown. During one point in the interview, Boehner made the following comment:
Stephanopoulos: You’re saying you don’t want members of Congress to be paid during a shutdown, if it comes to pass?Boehner: No, they shouldn’t be getting paid. Just like federal employees shouldn’t be getting paid.Read the full interview transcript here.
Today 10:36 AM Government Agency Shutdown Plans
The Washington Post has provided a list of government agency shutdown plans. The list includes instructions to employees of various agencies, should a government shutdown occur.
For example, here is an excerpt from Interior Department Press Secretary Kendra Barkoff's statement:
For example, here is an excerpt from Interior Department Press Secretary Kendra Barkoff's statement:
We still believe that there is the opportunity for Congress to avoid a government shutdown, but are working to prepare for all possible scenarios.Visitors and potential visitors to national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands should be advised that, in the event of a government shutdown, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management will close and secure park, refuge and visitor facilities on public lands.View the list here.
Today 10:17 AM White House Announces Another Meeting With House Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid
HuffPost's Sam Stein writes:
The White House announced on Thursday morning that the President and the Vice President would host another meeting with House Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid at 1 p.m. to hammer out a deal on the budget.
The meeting, announced by Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, comes after the same parties held discussions on the budget late into Wednesday night with no obvious resolution. The plan was for talks to continue through the night with the option to host another White House meeting if need be. On Thursday morning, Reid took to the floor and said he was less optimistic about the state of talks than he was “11 hours ago,” suggesting that this 1:00 p.m. meeting is the final gasp for negotiators.
The White House announced on Thursday morning that the President and the Vice President would host another meeting with House Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid at 1 p.m. to hammer out a deal on the budget.
The meeting, announced by Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, comes after the same parties held discussions on the budget late into Wednesday night with no obvious resolution. The plan was for talks to continue through the night with the option to host another White House meeting if need be. On Thursday morning, Reid took to the floor and said he was less optimistic about the state of talks than he was “11 hours ago,” suggesting that this 1:00 p.m. meeting is the final gasp for negotiators.
Today 10:14 AM Sen. Reid On Government Shutdown: 'It Looks Like It's Headed In That Direction'
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says on the Senate floor, regarding a government shutdown, "It looks like it's headed in that direction..."
Watch live on C-SPAN 2.
Watch live on C-SPAN 2.
Today 10:07 AM Sen. Reid: 'The Only Thing Holding Up An Agreement Is Ideology'
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says on the Senate floor, "The numbers are basically there." But, after a night of working, he says, "I'm not nearly as optimistic as I was 11 hours ago."
He goes on to state, "The only thing holding up an agreement is ideology." Watch live on CSPAN-2.
He goes on to state, "The only thing holding up an agreement is ideology." Watch live on CSPAN-2.
Today 9:57 AM Senator Reid To Offer Update On Budget Negotiations At 10am (ET)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to deliver an update on budget negotiations at 10am (ET) on the Senate Floor. CSPAN2 will be streaming the update live. Watch here.
Today 9:50 AM Lobbyists See More Work As Possible Shutdown Approaches
Roll Call reports that as Washington braces for a possible government shutdown, lobbyists are busy as ever.
“Everything’s kicked up a notch,” said Jack Howard, a lobbyist with Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates and a former top aide to then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) during the last government shutdowns in the mid-1990s. “I find myself spending a lot more time with the Speaker’s office, [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell’s office. In situations like this, most decisions get elevated to leadership levels.”Howard’s clients, which include major airlines and energy companies, started calling Monday as they realized just how real the budget impasse on Capitol Hill had become. And it seems just about every business that has some involvement with the government has taken notice. Even companies whose public policy agendas rarely concern the federal budget have become intensely interested in the appropriations process.Read more here.
“I really didn’t think they were going to get to this point, but in the last 24 hours it’s all anybody’s been talking about,” said Melissa Schulman, a lobbyist with the Bockorny Group. “I have a client that is coming in for some pretty important meetings next week. Their tickets are bought. What are these people supposed to do? We can’t go meet with a government that’s shut down.”
Today 9:42 AM Some Conservatives May Feel They Owe It To Constituents To Avoid Compromise
The Washington Post reports that some conservatives have backed themselves into a corner when it comes to the government shutdown.
The strongest conservatives — including many freshmen — have promised to never compromise on their beliefs and to achieve historic changes in government spending.Now, the first aim may be sabotaging the second.Read the full article here.
“There are many Republicans that feel that they gave their word to their constituents that they wouldn’t back down,” which keeps them from agreeing to a deal in this fight, said Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R-N.Y.), another freshman. Grimm said they should seek a compromise on a continuing resolution for this year’s budget and move on to what’s sure to be a larger fight over the 2012 budget.
Today 9:36 AM Poll Shows Republicans Face Tricky Balancing Act
A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that Republican lawmakers are caught in a tough position trying to balance the demands of both their conservative base and independents:
The poll showed Republicans, especially those aligned with the tea party, ready to fight for budget cuts. Sixty-eight percent of tea party supporters said Republican leaders should stick to their positions on the budget, even if that meant no consensus could be reached. Only 28% advised GOP leaders to compromise. Among all Republicans, 56% called for GOP lawmakers to stick to their positions, while 38% called for compromise.When independents are factored into the equation, the numbers change:
But Republicans find a different opinion among the independents who helped them make gains in 2010 and who they will need again in 2012. Political independents argue for GOP lawmakers to find compromise, 66% to 30%.When Republicans are combined with independents, forming the universe of people that GOP lawmakers are most eager to appeal to at election time, opinion is evenly split—48% to 47%—between those advising compromises against those urging political leaders to stick to their positions, even if it results in no budget agreement.Read the full poll results and analysis here.
Today 9:30 AM How The Government Shutdown Could Affect Travelers
AOL Travel reports that a government shutdown could have a significant impact on travelers:
During previous government shutdowns in 1995 and early 1996, the National Park Service lost approximately 7 million visitors when 368 sites were shuttered. National monuments and museums were closed to another 2 million.At the same time, about 200,000 travelers were left waiting for passports when the State Department stopped processing applications. The third annual "Passport Day" is actually planned for this Saturday, which should give people who work Monday through Friday a chance to put in passport applications at passport offices and agencies – if the government stays open.Read the full article here.
Today 8:59 AM Obama: A Shutdown Would Be Inexcusable
The Washington Post reports that in President Obama's late-night briefing yesterday, he spoke strongly against the possibility of a shutdown, “It would be inexcusable, given the relatively narrow differences when it comes to numbers between the two parties, that we can’t get this done... There’s no reason why we should have a government shutdown unless we’ve made a decision that politics is more important.”
Earlier in the day, Obama offered a marriage analogy:
Earlier in the day, Obama offered a marriage analogy:
“You want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it’s not just my way or the highway,” he said in a speech Wednesday afternoon in Fairless Hills, Pa., outside Philadelphia. “How many folks are married here? When was the last time you just got your way? I mean, that’s not how it works.”Read the full article here.
Today 8:47 AM Sen. Joe Manchin To Lawmakers: Give Up Your Shutdown Pay
Politico reports that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wrote a letter to his colleagues asking that they give up their salaries if the government shuts down:
“While millions of American families will be impacted by a government shutdown — whether they are serving our country’s military, whether someone in their family is furloughed or whether they are unable to use critical government services – elected officials are the one group who will not be impacted. Just the opposite, in fact: we still get paid. How does that make any sense?” Manchin writes in a “Dear Colleague” letter. “That is why, if the government shuts down, I will take this pledge, and I urge you all – from the President and Vice President to all Members of Congress – to take it with me: I will forego my federal salary until we reach an agreement. I will donate my salary to charity or return it to the Treasury until the government works again.”Read the full story here.
Today 8:37 AM Representatives Support Cuts... Except In Their Home State
The New York Times reports that even as House Republicans push for bigger cuts to avoid a government shutdown, members of Congress "will face constituents who, while supportive of the concept of cutting federal spending, do not care much for the specifics."
Case in point, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who denounced stimulus spending and voted for a bill that would make $61 billion in program cuts.
Case in point, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who denounced stimulus spending and voted for a bill that would make $61 billion in program cuts.
Government overspending is out of control, she said recently in the weekly Republican address, and must be stopped. But perhaps not in her home state, Washington.There, the Port of Vancouver had been waiting for a $10 million grant, one modeled on a popular program in the stimulus bill. But the money was rescinded in the Republican spending bill, known as H.R. 1, that passed the House in February but was later defeated in the Democratic-controlled Senate.Read the full article here.
Today 3:17 AM House GOP Plans To Move Forward With Stopgap Budget Extension
AP reports:
Republicans battling with President Barack Obama over budget cuts are moving one-week legislation Thursday to avoid a government shutdown, despite opposition from the White House and Senate Democrats pressing for a longer-term solution.The move by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to advance the interim budget measure angered his Democratic negotiating counterparts and came after slower-than-hoped White House talks Wednesday night. The president said Republicans need to display more urgency, while Boehner said honest differences remain.Full story here.
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