UPDATE: Sign the petition: Musk went on Fox News to spread lies about Social Security 13MAR25

 

NEO-NAZI, fotze fascist elon musk must be stopped before his bromance buddy (no wonder we haven't seen fotze melania in a while) NOT MY pres donald jessica drumpf / trump is able to complete the transformation of our nation from a democratic Republic to an authoritarian theocratic oligarchy. Social Security is the latest federal government agency NOT MY pres musk has placed on the sacrificial alter of greed, the magat gop / greed over people-republican party priest in congress are poised with their knives just waiting for the signal to kill it. WE THE PEOPLE have been fighting for our country since NOT MY pres drumpf's / trump's and NOT MY vice-pres Vance's inauguration and now Demand Progress is asking for us to sign this petition to the U.S. Senate telling them to stop NOT MY pres musk's and doge's destruction of Social Security. share this petition with family, friends and co-workers and if you can take the time to e mail your senators and representative telling them to save Social Security, to stop NOT MY pres drumpf / trump, NOT MY vice-pres vance, NOT MY pres musk and magats of the gop / greed over people-republican party.

UPDATE: MY E MAILS TO SEN WARNER & KAINE

I left a voice mail at your D.C. office telling you I expect you to vote against the drumpf / trump-vance and musk CR, to stand and fight for federal government employees and the programs so many depend on, especially Social Security as I just retired at the end of July 2024. The below is from Demand Progress, one of the groups I belong to that is fighting for the 99% like me. Petition to the U.S. Senate:

We urge you to protect federal agencies and federal workers from being dismantled and fired by President Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE. Don't pass legislation to empower DOGE!

On Fox Business News, Elon Musk spread more propaganda to undermine Social Security and said it was the big program to “eliminate.”1

Musk and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) are running their playbook to gut Social Security. If DOGE receives support in the Senate, Musk will be free to destroy the program tens of millions Americans rely on for income.

The Senate can stop the Republican budget and force Musk to the negotiating table.

While Musk spreads lies about so-called fraud in Social Security, DOGE is firing employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA), closing local Social Security offices, and threatening the benefits that millions of people rely on to survive.2

“At this rate, they will break it. And they will break it fast, and there will be an interruption of benefits,” said Martin O’Malley, President Biden’s Social Security commissioner.3 And an interruption in benefits would be just the start of Musk and Trump’s efforts to destroy this critical program.

The U.S. Senate can’t simply empower DOGE because Trump and Musk say it’s what they want.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud,” March 10, 2025.

ProPublica, “Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In,” February 22, 2025.

Washington Post, “Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over data,” February 17, 2025.

UPDATE: E MAIL SENT TO REP SUBRAMANYAM

Below is the e mail I sent to Senators Warner and Kaine after leaving voice mails at their D.C. offices today. Please contact them regarding this issue and their vote.

I left a voice mail at your D.C. office telling you I expect you to vote against the drumpf / trump-vance and musk CR, to stand and fight for federal government employees and the programs so many depend on, especially Social Security as I just retired at the end of July 2024. The below is from Demand Progress, one of the groups I belong to that is fighting for the 99% like me. Petition to the U.S. Senate:

We urge you to protect federal agencies and federal workers from being dismantled and fired by President Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE. Don't pass legislation to empower DOGE!

On Fox Business News, Elon Musk spread more propaganda to undermine Social Security and said it was the big program to “eliminate.”1

Musk and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) are running their playbook to gut Social Security. If DOGE receives support in the Senate, Musk will be free to destroy the program tens of millions Americans rely on for income.

The Senate can stop the Republican budget and force Musk to the negotiating table.

While Musk spreads lies about so-called fraud in Social Security, DOGE is firing employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA), closing local Social Security offices, and threatening the benefits that millions of people rely on to survive.2

“At this rate, they will break it. And they will break it fast, and there will be an interruption of benefits,” said Martin O’Malley, President Biden’s Social Security commissioner.3 And an interruption in benefits would be just the start of Musk and Trump’s efforts to destroy this critical program.

The U.S. Senate can’t simply empower DOGE because Trump and Musk say it’s what they want.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud,” March 10, 2025.

ProPublica, “Anxiet

TELL THE U.S. SENATE: Elon Musk went on Fox News to continue spreading lies about Social Security. He outright said it was the big program to “eliminate.” Musk and DOGE present an imminent threat to Social Security benefits. Sign the petition: Don’t let Musk destroy Social Security — block DOGE now! ADD YOUR NAME On Fox Business News, Elon Musk spread more propaganda to undermine Social Security and said it was the big program to “eliminate.”1 Musk and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) are running their playbook to gut Social Security. If DOGE receives support in the Senate, Musk will be free to destroy the program tens of millions Americans rely on for income. The Senate can stop the Republican budget and force Musk to the negotiating table. Sign the petition: Tell the Senate to stop DOGE and save Social Security! ADD YOUR NAME While Musk spreads lies about so-called fraud in Social Security, DOGE is firing employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA), closing local Social Security offices, and threatening the benefits that millions of people rely on to survive.2 “At this rate, they will break it. And they will break it fast, and there will be an interruption of benefits,” said Martin O’Malley, President Biden’s Social Security commissioner.3 And an interruption in benefits would be just the start of Musk and Trump’s efforts to destroy this critical program. The U.S. Senate can’t simply empower DOGE because Trump and Musk say it’s what they want. Sign the petition: Defend Social Security and our government against Musk and DOGE! Thanks for taking action, Joey and the team at Demand Progress DONATE Sources: Associated Press, “Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud,” March 10, 2025. ProPublica, “Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In,” February 22, 2025. Washington Post, “Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over data,” February 17, 2025.   Contributions to ActBlue Civics and Demand Progress Action are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Instagram or Twitter. Receiving too many emails from Demand Progress? You can opt to pause emails from Demand Progress for a month. And of course you can unsubscribe from this list at any time.

Republican Senator Calls For Repeat Of 1995 Government Shutdown: ‘If We Hold Strong We Can Do That Again’ & Obama Reiterates He Won’t Compromise Over Debt Ceiling, Calls For Closing Tax Loopholes For The Rich 5&7JAN13

HOPE springs eternal that Pres Obama realizes he is the President and doesn't have to negotiate with the repiglicans and tea-baggers in congress over the federal debt. After all, as pointed out in this article, negotiations were not required the 19 times the debt ceiling was raised when george w bush was president. And it is refreshing and heartening to see Pres Obama standing firm in his insistence on raising revenues by closing tax loopholes that benefit only the rich and corporations. Progressives will have to keep vigilant to make sure the President stands his ground. This from Think Progress, followed by a piece on sen ted cruz's call for the repiglican / tea-bagger obstructionist in congress to stand firm against Pres Obama on raising the fed debt ceiling, shutting down the American govt if necessary (but close tax loopholes legislated only for the rich and corporations? Oh no, he opposes that, big surprise).

By Igor Volsky

In a his weekly address from Hawaii, President Obama reiterated that he will not negotiate with Republicans over raising the nation’s debt ceiling and said that any future efforts to reduce the deficit must include a combination of higher revenues and spending cuts.
Obama noted that additional revenue could come from closing tax loopholes and deductions Republicans themselves sought to reform throughout the 2012 presidential election and the fiscal cliff talks but were not altered in the compromise Congress passed to avert the fiscal cliff. Congress enacted $1.7 trillion in budget cuts last year and raised $620 billion in revenue in the fiscal cliff fix, a number that is far below House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)’s offer of $800 billion during the cliff negotiations and lower than what would have been raised under Simpson-Bowles or Rivlin-Domenici.
From Obama’s remarks:

I believe we can find more places to cut spending without shortchanging things like education, job training, research and technology all which are critical to our prosperity in a 21st century economy. But spending cuts must be balanced with more reforms to our tax code. The wealthiest individuals and the biggest corporations shouldn’t be able to take advantage of loopholes and deductions that aren’t available to most Americans.
And as I said earlier this week, one thing I will not compromise over is whether or not Congress should pay the tab for a bill they’ve already racked up. If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic. The last time Congress threatened this course of action, our entire economy suffered for it. Our families and our businesses cannot afford that dangerous game again.

Since Obama signed the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012,” the GOP has insisted that the measure “settles the level of revenue Washington should bring in” and have turned their attention to using the leverage of the debt ceiling to secure spending cuts and entitlement reforms.
During George W. Bush’s presidency, however, Republicans voted to increase the debt ceiling 19 times without ever demanding spending reductions, increasing the debt limit by nearly $4 trillion. In 2011, Boehner even warned of the consequences of holding the nation’s credit rating hostage. “That would be a financial disaster, not only for us, but for the worldwide economy,” Boehner said on “Fox News Sunday” of the risk of default. “I don’t think it’s a question that’s even on the table.”
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/05/1402591/obama-reiterates-he-wont-compromise-over-debt-ceiling-calls-for-closing-tax-loopholes-for-the-rich/

Republican Senator Calls For Repeat Of 1995 Government Shutdown: ‘If We Hold Strong We Can Do That Again’

By Scott Keyes

Tea Party-aligned Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), within days of being sworn in, is already calling for a government shutdown unless Congress agrees to massive budget cuts.
During an appearance on Mark Levin’s radio show Friday, Cruz waxed poetic about the last time Republicans successfully shut down the government in 1995, arguing that a shutdown leads to better economic policies. “Because Republicans stood strong in 1995, we saw year after year of balanced budgets,” Cruz said. He went on to call for a repeat as Republicans hold the nation’s fiscal solvency hostage in the debt ceiling fight next month. “If we hold strong we can do that again,” the Texas Senator declared:

CRUZ: What would happen if the debt ceiling isn’t raised is it would be a partial government shutdown. We’ve seen this before, we saw this in 1995, when Republicans in the House shut down the government. What happened was it was a partial shutdown, there was some political cost to be paid but at the end of the day, because Republicans stood strong in 1995, we saw year after year of balanced budgets and some of the most fiscally-responsible policies Congress has produced in the modern-era. If we hold strong we can do that again. It just comes down to Republicans. Are we willing to stand strong and face the wrath of the mainstream media criticizing us and the president saying nasty things about us?

Listen to it:
Were Cruz and his Republican allies to succeed in shutting down the government, the effects would be felt widely. Over 800,000 federal workers would likely be furloughed, Social Security processing could be delayed, newly-eligible Medicare patients wouldn’t be able to obtain benefits, police and public safety officials could be cut, and veterans’ services would be impacted.
In addition, a debt ceiling negotiation itself is costly; last time Republicans held it hostage in 2011, the debacle cost taxpayers $19 billion.
The larger problem, however, is that by not raising the debt ceiling, Congress risks defaulting on the United States’ credit. If Cruz and his allies block a debt ceiling increase, the Treasury won’t be able to pay all its bills. As Matthew Yglesias notes, “The result won’t be a ‘shutdown’ of government functions; it’ll be a deadbeat federal government. Some people won’t get money they’re legally entitled to.” That’s why House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) warned in 2011 that not raising the debt ceiling would cause “financial disaster” for the entire “worldwide economy.”
In his first week in Congress, Cruz is already earning a reputation as an unwavering firebrand. As he explained on Fox News Sunday this past weekend, “I don’t think what Washington needs is more compromise.”
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/07/1406011/cruz-calls-for-shutdown-default/

TELL REP JOHN BOEHNER AND HIS TEA-BAGGER ALLIES "I STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD" 8APR11

URGENT CALL TO ACTION FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD, CLICK THE LINK TO SEND YOUR LETTER....

Dear Craig, The unthinkable is happening today in Washington, and we urgently need your action. As I write this, Representative John Boehner is caving to extremists in Congress and preparing to shut down the federal government because of their outdated and outrageous ideology, devastating the daily lives of millions of Americans. They will not rest until they have closed every single Planned Parenthood health center in the country, no matter the consequences. Craig, it is essential that we stand together and stand strong in stopping them today. We urgently need your action right now. Add your name to this letter we are sending Representative Boehner and his extreme colleagues today — and then you must share it far and wide. Please do it now — we don't have a single moment to waste. AN OPEN LETTER TO REPRESENTATIVE BOEHNER AND HIS EXTREMIST COLLEAGUES IN CONGRESS: Your willingness to shut down the federal government and devastate the daily lives of millions of Americans because of your vendetta against Planned Parenthood is utterly despicable. And it is absolutely clear that your actions have never been about reducing government spending. They have always been about your vendetta against Planned Parenthood. I know it; you know it; and so do millions of Americans. We stand together to stop you, and we will not back down. We are teachers and students, mothers and fathers, Republicans and Democrats, lawyers, doctors, and manual laborers, women and men. We know that the health care Planned Parenthood provides to screen for cancer, test for HIV, prescribe birth control, and empower and educate women, men, and teens is essential. We are millions strong — and growing. The hardships a government shutdown will create are unacceptable, and we implore you to stop. If you have ever found care at a Planned Parenthood health center… if you care about women's health… if you are unwilling to see millions of people suffer because of an extreme political agenda... sign this letter. I know that we've asked a lot of you during the past few months, and every time you've come through. Thank you in advance for doing so again today. We cannot let this vengeful, narrow-minded assault on Planned Parenthood and the people we serve continue. If we fail, millions of women could pay a terrible price. Sign the letter right now. Thank you, once again, for standing with us now to stop Representative John Boehner and his extremist colleagues. Sincerely, Cecile Richards, President Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Harry Reid moves to box John Boehner in (on the budget)8APR11

WAY TO GO SEN REID!!!! The one thing the gop and tea-baggers fear is the truth, and Sen Reid has thrown it out there for God and everyone in America to see!!!! I hope the rest of the Senate Democrats and Pres Obama have the same courage to keep up the good fight!!!!!

Harry Reid, on the Senate floor moments ago, uncorked a blast at Republicans over Planned Parenthood that suggests Dems think they’ve got John Boehner boxed in big time:

“Republicans want to shut down the government because they think there is nothing more important than keeping women from getting cancer screenings? That is indefensible, and everyone should be outraged — women and men. Republican leaders in the House have only a few hours left to look in the mirror, snap out of it and realize how positively shameful that would be.”
“For months, this conversation has been about billions and trillions of dollars. It has been about weighty issues and difficult decisions. This debate used to be about saving money.
“No longer. We have an agreement on the cuts and savings. And that agreement includes a historic level of cuts...
“The consequences of letting our country’s funding expire would be devastating. It would be devastating to our troops, to our small businesses and to Americans’ everyday lives – people who just want to get a home loan or get their tax refund or get their paycheck. It would damage our image and credibility around the world.
“But Republicans are asking me to sacrifice my wife’s health, my daughter’s health and my nine granddaughters’ health. They’re asking me to sacrifice the health of women in Nevada and across America. I won’t do it.
“As a legislator, I’m frustrated. And as an American, I’m appalled. As a husband, a father and a grandfather, I’m personally offended.”

Republicans, of course, maintain that this is still a battle over spending — that there is no agreement on the level of spending cuts. And it seems clear that Republicans are holding out on Planned Parenthood funding mainly in order to increase their leverage and extract even more spending cuts.
But now it looks like Dems are preparing a new way of undercutting the GOP claim that there’s no spending agreement. Charles Schumer claimed on ABC’s Top Line — which is set to run at noon — that John Boehner offered Obama and Dems a target number in private talks, and that Dems accepted it. ABC’s Rick Klein Tweeted Schumer’s quote moments ago:

“Boehner offered a number...Obama said OK we’ll take that.”

I’m assuming House GOPers will deny this, and in truth, we can’t know what exactly was said behind closed doors. Separately, however, Harry Reid is claiming that Dems are prepared to agree to $38 billion in cuts. Republicans have said all along that they are holding out for the biggest cuts possible, and from their perspective, $38 billion simply isn’t enough. But Dems can now counter that they have agreed to more than half the $61 billion in cuts House conservatives wanted.
The key to keep in mind here is that there’s a massive opinion gap between the GOP base and independents on whether they prefer a comromise or a government shutdown. The base wants a shutdown, but it would risk squandering the GOP’s gains among independents in 2010, and it could play into the Dem strategy of winning back indys for 2012 by painting the GOP as hostage to Tea Party extremists. If Democrats can make Reid’s floor remarks the storyline — that there’s no longer even a debate over money, and Republicans are prepared to shut down the government not even over abortion, but over federally-funded women’s health programs — it seems pretty clear that it could put Republican leaders in a difficult political spot.

By Greg Sargent  |  11:59 AM ET, 04/08/2011

UPDATES ON FED BUDGET TALKS; Government Shutdown: Obama Announces Progress But No Budget Deal After White House Meeting 7APR11

THE latest from HuffPost on the budget talks for today, click the links for full articles posted, click the header to go to HuffPost for the full story from this past week. ESPECIALLY ENLIGHTENING IS rep mike pence's SLIP OF THE (FORKED) TONGUE.
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.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES)
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.

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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.

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:

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.
“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.”

Read more here.

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.
“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.

Read the full article here.

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:

“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.

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.

President Obama on Budget Negotiations: "We Have Now Matched the Number the Speaker Originally Sought" 5APR11

THE gop and tea-baggers continue to demonize everyone involved in the budget negotiations except their masters from the military-industrial complex and corporate America and the rich, those who bought and paid for them in the last election. The budget compromise proposal from Pres Obama and the Democrats isn't perfect, in fact it leaves much to be desired, but it is a compromise, and they should not compromise any further. The gop and tea-baggers need to be forced to stand up to to their constituents and explain the budget to them. If the government has to be shut down so be it and then the Democrats can start asking the public what they think about that tea-bagger thingy now....


Speaking in the White House Briefing Room today after a meeting with Congressional Leaders of both parties, the President laid out his guiding principles for the negotiations on last year's budget and looking ahead:

From the outset, my goal has been to significantly cut our domestic spending but, at the same time, make sure we’re making key investments in things like education, infrastructure, innovation -- the things that are going to help us win the future.

He was blunt in saying that the American people expect Congress to get a deal done to avoid a government shut-down and that the consequences for our economy would be unacceptable.   He was also clear that he and Democrats in Congress “have more than met the Republicans halfway at this point” by agreeing to same dollar figure in cuts that Republican Leadership originally proposed:

And I just want to set the context for this now.  Again, I’m going to repeat.  Speaker Boehner, Chairman Rogers, the Republican appropriations chairman -- their original budget proposed $73 billion in cuts.  We have now agreed to $73 billion worth of cuts.  What they are now saying is, well, we’re not sure that every single one of the cuts that you’ve made are ones that we agree to; we’d rather have these cuts rather than that cut.  That’s not the basis for shutting down the government.  We should be able to come up with a compromise in which nobody gets 100 percent of what they want, but the American people get the peace of mind in knowing that folks here in Washington are actually thinking about them -- because they’re going through a whole lot of struggles right now.

Going forward, the President said unequivocally that his White House would be willing put in as much time as necessary to avoid a shutdown, and that he expected Congressional leaders to do the same:

The only question is whether politics or ideology are going to get in the way of preventing a government shutdown.  Now, what does this potentially mean for the American people?  At a time when the economy is just beginning to grow, where we’re just starting to see a pickup in employment, the last thing we need is a disruption that’s caused by a government shutdown.  Not to mention all the people who depend on government services, whether you’re a veteran or you’re somebody who’s trying to get a passport or you’re planning to visit one of the national monuments or you’re a business leader who’s trying to get a small business loan.  You don’t want delays, you don’t want disruptions just because of usual politics in Washington.
So what I said to the Speaker today, and what I said to Leader Reid, and what I’ve said to the two appropriations chairs, is that myself, Joe Biden, my team, we are prepared to meet for as long as possible to get this resolved.