Party leaders on Capitol Hill are digging in their heels over a stopgap funding measure to keep federal agencies open next month, raising the threat of government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
All sides say they want to avoid a government shutdown. But with Congress scheduled to be out of town next week, time is running out to reach a compromise on the temporary funding bill. The so-called “continuing resolution” that would fund the government through Nov. 18 is necessary because Congress failed to send any of its 12 annual appropriations bills to the White House.
The dispute centers around aid to victims of disasters — such as floods, hurricanes, fires and earthquakes — that is included in the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, wants to add almost $7 billion in disaster aid. That’s about half the amount suggested by House Republican leaders who control the chamber.
“We’re not going to back down,” Mr. Reid said Tuesday.
When asked if a deal can be reached before the Sept. 30 deadline, the senator said: “I’m not so sure.”
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, has defended the amount of disaster aid included in the House GOP’s plan, saying it was based on spending compromises brokered in the summer’s debt limit deal.
“The house bill has in it the disaster relief that the president requested, and then some,” Mr. Cantor said.
Mr. Cantor suggested he also won’t blink, saying that if a shutdown occurred, it would be on Mr. Reid’s shoulders.
“He’s the one playing politics with it,” the Virginia Republican said. “No one wants to stand in the way of disaster relief money. … There’s nothing else but politics going along with that move if that’s what happens.”
The House version, which is scheduled for a vote Wednesday, would cut $1.5 billion from a federal loan program for the development of more fuel-efficient vehicles to offset a $1 billion portion of the disaster aid money. Democrats oppose the program cut, saying it could cost thousands of jobs.
It “is counterproductive to growth in jobs and to the growth in the economy,” said House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat. “We think they make a mistake.”
Complicating matters for House GOP leaders is a group of more than 50 House Republicans who have complained that the stopgap funding bill exceeds a discretionary spending cap for 2012 that House Republicans agreed to earlier this year.
If the disgruntled Republicans fail to support the measure, then House GOP leaders would need the support of several Democrats to pass the measure — a scenario Mr. Hoyer says is unlikely.
“My presumption is they will offer a [continuing resolution] which has that offset in it, and Democrats will be loath to support that effort because we think it is counterproductive,” Mr. Hoyer said. “The [continuing resolution] needs to be passed, but we will see what the Senate does.”
If the stopgap measure clears the House, Mr. Reid said he will substitute his version that includes the $7 billion disaster aid package for the House bill. Passage in the Senate will require 60 votes, meaning at least seven Republicans must join the Democratic caucus for it to succeed.
Ten Republicans voted with Democrats last week to pass a stand-alone disaster aid measure, though it’s uncertain how many — if any — would side with Mr. Reid on the latest package.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was confident a deal will be worked out by the end of the week.
“We always respond to disasters in this country, and we’re going to respond to this one in an appropriate way,” the Kentucky Republican said. “Exactly how we get from where we are to the end of the trail by Thursday night, I couldn’t tell you.”
• Sean Lengell can be reached at slengell@washingtontimes.com.
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