Top Senate Democrats took a break from their annual retreat Thursday afternoon to criticize Republicans for going spending-cut crazy.
“The House Republican proposal is not responsible,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on a conference call with reporters.
Last week, Reid called the House Republicans’ plan to slash $34 billion from current spending levels over the next six months “unworkable.” Just today, under pressure from their right flank, GOP leaders increased that number to about $58 billion.
That infighting, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is “causing gridlock that could risk a government shutdown.”
Schumer and other Democrats have proposed cutting the deficit by eliminating tax subsidies for oil companies — an idea that GOP leaders (and some Democrats) have rejected.
“They’re allied with the oil companies, we understand that,” Schumer said. “But there’s going to have to be some compromise here.”
