–Senate Majority Leader: Parties Agree On $38 Billion In Spending Cuts
–Sen. Reid: GOP Pushing Unacceptable Abortion Rider
–House Speaker Boehner: Talks Still Delayed By Spending Cut Dispute
–Rep. Boehner: Senate Should Pass One Week Stop-Gap W/$12B in Cuts

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – With a government shutdown looming at midnight,
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner agreed
Friday that an impasse continues on the 2011 fiscal year budget, but the
leaders offered very different interpretations about why the stalemate
persists.

In back-to-back briefings, Reid and Boehner agreed the talks are
stalemated, but on little else.

At an off-camera briefing with reporters, Reid said the parties now
agree on $38 billion in FY’11 spending cuts.

“We agreed on a number last night,” Reid said, referring to the
talks at the White House with President Obama, Reid and Boehner.

“The number is agreed,” he said.

Reid said the last remaining issue is a House Republican rider to
eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

“The only thing holding up an agreement is ideology,” Reid said.

Speaking an hour later on the Senate floor, Reid repeated that the
only thing delaying a final agreement is the GOP’s “shameful” insistence
on cutting off Planned Parenthood funding.

Reid said the consequences of a government shutdown would be
“devastating” to the American economy.

At a separate briefing, Boehner continued to argue that other
issues are still in play, including the exact level of spending.

Boehner said that it’s important to approve the largest possible
package of spending cuts in the final FY’11 bill.

The 2011 fiscal year began on Oct. 1 and the government has run on
six short-term funding bills.

Congress’ most recent temporary spending bill for the 2011 fiscal
year will keep the federal government funded until midnight Friday.

House Republicans passed another temporary spending bill Thursday
that would fund the Pentagon for the rest of FY’11 and fund the rest of
the government for one week while cutting an additional $12 billion. It
also includes a host of policy riders that Democrats object to.

At his briefing, Boehner urged the Senate to pass this stop-gap
spending bill.

Reid has said the new House stop-gap bill is a “non-starter” and a
“fantasy” and will not pass in the Senate.

Reid said Friday he will propose a one-week stop gap spending later
today to keep the government running. But he will offer this as a
unanimous consent request in which any senator could object and block
the measure.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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