If House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) reach a deal to fund the government through September before the end of this week, they’ll avert a government shutdown. Or will they?
At a briefing for reporters Wednesday afternoon, Boehner suggested the door will still be wide open to a brief shutdown anyhow.
“In the House we have a three-day layover policy so people can read the bill,” he said. “Secondly I think it’s pretty clear to most of you that once there is an agreement it’s going to take two or three days to actually put it all together.”
As a bridge between any potential deal, and a vote next week on the six month bill itself, Republicans plan to pass a plan they introduced Monday evening. “The government’s due to shut down tomorrow [sic] so we’re going to be prepared to move forward with our troop funding bill, to fund our troops, keep the government open for another week, and cut another $12 billion in spending,” Boehner told reporters.
But Democrats have rejected that bill. And that means there could be a last-minute flare up that results in a shutdown — even if an agreement is announced today, tomorrow, or Friday. Reid’s office was not immediately available for comment.
Late update: On the Senate floor Wednesday evening, Reid rejected Boehner’s bid to pass his stopgap plan — including deep cuts — while he and Democrats finalize a deal. If they can’t reach one, the government shuts down. If they can reach one, but haven’t finished up the paperwork by Friday, a Senate Democratic aide tells me they’ll figure out a way to keep the government open without passing Boehner’s one-week plan. That means there’s likely to be another mini-skirmish about maintain government funding while the bill writers put ink to paper.
