Government Shutdown: No End in Sight

Dems shoot down GOP 'piecemeal' strategy
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 2, 2013 5:08 AM CDT
Updated Oct 2, 2013 8:01 AM CDT
Government Shutdown: No End in Sight
The Lincoln Memorial, and most of the federal government, is still closed.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

It's Day 2 of the government shutdown and it's starting to look like this could go on for a while. In contrast to other budget showdowns of recent years, there have been no serious negotiations between President Obama and John Boehner—and no sign that Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell will come in from the sidelines with a deal to get the government running, the Washington Post reports. Instead, the GOP is left to deal with Harry Reid, who has made it clear he is unwilling to budge.

  • House Republicans moved to pass bills funding the government one agency at a time, but that strategy was shot down by Democratic opposition, and the White House promised to veto any bill that didn't resolve the whole shutdown. "These piecemeal efforts are not serious, and they are no way to run a government," a spokeswoman said. "If House Republicans are legitimately concerned about the impacts of a shutdown ... they should do their job and pass a clean CR to reopen the government."

  • As the capital braced for an extended shutdown, Obama's schedule made it clear he plans to play hardball, the Hill reports. He plans to hold events in the coming days to hammer Republicans—especially Boehner—over the shutdown. The president, who has scaled back his upcoming trip to Asia, plans to meet corporate leaders today and will appear at a construction company that has benefited from federal loans tomorrow.
  • It is becoming increasingly apparent to both parties that the budget fight is on a collision course with talks to raise the debt ceiling before the October 17 deadline, reports Politico. "This is now all together," warned Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. Obama has said raising the limit is not negotiable.
  • According to the LA Times, the best hope of resolving the crisis lies with an endangered species: moderate Republicans. Democrats are managing to present a united front, but a growing number of GOP centrists are calling for a simple, short-term spending bill. "The most important thing for the country is to get a conclusion," said New Jersey's Rep. Frank LoBiondo."The politics of it are tough, and I get singled out. But I want to do the right thing for the country."
(More government shutdown stories.)

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