Speaker of the House Boehner has stepped up and proven a desire to lead. The Senate Democrats are not happy about his latest accomplishment. Boehner has crafted together a two week Continuing Resolution to keep the government chugging along - no shutdown - and kept his Republican House members on the same page.
The two-week peace is only temporary but gives House and Senate leaders through Mar 18 to try to resolve conservative demands for more than $60 billion in spending cuts, all concentrated in the second half of this fiscal year.
A first installment of $4 billion in savings would be part of the deal now and Republicans have said they will insist on $2 billion more in cuts for each additional week the talks continue past the new deadline. The novel approach is one devised by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), trying to keep pace with his large freshman class while avoiding the same sort of shutdown that so hurt Republicans in the 1990’s when they confronted then President Bill Clinton.
The Democrats have been denied their much hoped for government shutdown at the hands of Republicans. They were hoping for Republicans to shoot themselves in the foot with an overreach in the majority, as they did under the guidance of then Speaker Gingrich in 1995. Boehner, present in the Gingrich days, will not let history repeat itself.
From a press release from Speaker Boehner:
House Republicans Working to Cut Spending While Keeping the Government Running
READ THE BILL: On Friday, House Republicans introduced a short-term funding measure to keep the government running while eliminating earmark slush funds and terminating several programs targeted in President Obama’s FY12 budget and the House-passed H.R.1. The bill will be voted on early this week; you can read it online here.
Speaker Boehner: “Americans understand we need to stop the spending binge in Washington to create a better environment for job creation.”
A recent Gallup survey found that by a 2-to-1 margin, the American people want to avoid a government shutdown and cut spending – exactly what Republicans are working to do.
The vote is expected on Tuesday. Next it is time for Senate Majority Leader Reid to show some real leadership, too.
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