government shutdown

Congress readies for more budget battles

Don Gonyea — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:03:12 +0000

As both sides sort out who won and who lost in the deal to keep the government running, the next phase of budget wrangling ensues.

The current-year budget deal struck Friday night still needs full congressional approval this week.

President Obama will deliver a speech Wednesday on the budget and the long-range deficits.

And sometime during the week, the House is expected to approve a new budget plan for next year that includes big changes in Medicare and Medicaid.

And none of that is to mention the looming battle about raising the federal debt ceiling.

The Current-Year Budget

Deal averting shutdown proves compromise is alive, if not well

Frank James — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:56:06 +0000
Reports of the death of compromise in Washington are greatly exaggerated.
That's one important message from the 11th-hour agreement that averted a partial shutdown of the federal government Friday night.
"No compromise" has been the rallying cry of the Tea Party movement. Some Republican lawmakers have echoed that.
But the agreement reached Friday was the epitome of compromise.

Just in time, a deal to avert a government shutdown

NPR.org — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 03:15:21 +0000
Congressional leaders and President Obama reached a budget agreement a little more than an hour before a midnight deadline for avoiding a partial shutdown of the federal government.

What's closed (and what's not) in a shutdown

NPR.org — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:21:41 +0000
The consequences of a partial government shutdown would be felt most immediately and visibly in areas where the public interacts directly with agencies. But if it drags on, those consequences could spread through the federal court system, the mortgage industry and even the launch of a space shuttle.
In the short term, the 394 sites run by the National Park Service would be closed, while income tax returns filed on paper would not be processed.

Time running out to avert partial government shutdown

Zoe Clark — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:47:51 +0000

Less than 24 hours remain for President Obama and Congressional leaders to avert a government shutdown. A deal to fund the federal government through September must be reached by midnight tonight to keep the government fully operating. President Obama and legislative leaders met again last night to narrow their differences over how much to cut the federal budget but no agreement was made.
NPR: GOP, Democrats Shift Blame As Shutdown Looms
The New York Times: No Accord in Budget Talks as Policy Fights Hamper Deal
The Washington Post: Budget Deal Continues to Elude Congress
Wall Street Journal: Dickering on Budget Goes Down to the Wire
Politico: White House Meeting Narrows Differences, But Still No Budget Deal
TheHill.com: Obama Cites Progress But 'No Wild Optimism' Ahead of Deadline