Almost all female Democratic Senators filed into a press gallery, at high noon on the Hill, to articulate their response to the current stalemate on budget talks. Washington Sen. Patty Murray summed up their bottom line: “We know we have to keep the government open … but we’re not going to throw women under the bus.”
Nine …
Progressive evangelical leader Jim Wallis is now eleven days into a fast to bring attention to budget cuts in programs that target low-income Americans. He and former Democratic Congressman Tony Hall have been joined by a variety of religious leaders, as well as the leaders of MoveOn.org and SEIU. And now 28 members of Congress (all …
The Wall Street Journal editorial page, an important barometer of conservative thought, leads today with an editorial suggesting that a shutdown would be to President Obama’s advantage:
Inviting a shutdown sooner or later has looked to be the White House strategy since Mr. Obama unveiled his own budget in February that increased
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Updated, 11:10 AM
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters this morning that he and House Speaker John Boehner agreed last night to $38 billion in spending cuts. The only hurdle left to clear, Reid said, was Republican insistence on the inclusion of a Planned Parenthood policy rider. Reid said he was “very hopeful” the parties …
TIME’s Michael Grunwald says the pundits have it all wrong. Paul Ryan’s budget plan is not courageous.
Ryan is a conservative Republican from a conservative Republican district, a committee chairman in a conservative Republican caucus. He was reelected last year with 68% of the vote. . . . I do question whether it was really courageous
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This morning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the networks together and gave them an update on the negotiations (as I type this Reid is starting another press conference in the Senate). He said the issues have narrowed to one: abortion. Reid said House Speaker John Boehner is pushing a rider that would make Title X into block …
The absurdity of the current moment in U.S. politics is truly astounding. Ezra Klein, as usual, gives a smart, concise account of the current state of play. But it’s important to step back and take a look at the big picture, as I tried to do the other day in this post–unfortunately, more than a few commentators, and one Time.com …
John Boehner has a decision to make. And in some ways it’s akin to choosing between his children. By midnight tonight the government will shut down unless an agreement can be reached between the Speaker and President Obama. Whatever Boehner decides will have long-reaching implications for his Speakership.
Ideally, Boehner would have …
The budget debate is far from over, but the good news is that they’re still talking: Senate majority leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner are heading back to the White House at 1 p.m. on Thursday. But the morning’s gloomy prognostications don’t bode well for the chances of averting a government shutdown.
If you listen to …
In a matter of hours, not days, the country is likely to find out if trash will be picked up in Washington, D.C., next week, if Yosemite will temporarily shutter its gates, and if government-issued BlackBerrys will go silent. But there is something more than just the the smell of Washington city streets and views of Half Dome at play in …
President Obama and Speaker Boehner talked this morning by phone – always a good sign that the lines of communications remain open. Though, the fact that the discussion lasted all of three minutes is a tad troubling. As the government lurches towards a possible shutdown, I thought it would be useful to outline the choices facing the …
The odds of a government shutdown were raised significantly this morning after House GOP leaders and President Obama failed to reach an agreement to continue funding the government.
“While there was a good discussion, no agreement was reached,” Speaker John Boehner’s staff wrote in an e-mail to reporters following the White …
Representative Paul Ryan’s budget proposal is, without question, an act of political courage. It contains more than a few provisions that are long overdue–like cuts in farm subsidies and the consolidation of job-training programs (many of which are outdated and useless). I would even be willing to consider a Medicare overhaul that …
