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http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpoli...-back-to-white-house-to-try-averting-shutdown
Obama Calls Boehner, Reid Back To White House To Try Averting Shutdown
Categories: Budget, White House, Congress
11:53 am
April 7, 2011
by Frank James
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
Enlarge Charles Dharapak/AP
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
Charles Dharapak/AP
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
In the game of chicken (or is it Russian roulette?) that could have as its outcome a partial shutdown of the federal government, President Obama has invited Congress' two top leaders — Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) back to the White House for more negotiations early Thursday afternoon.
The two will return to the White House a little more than 12 hours after they left it without reaching any agreement to bridge the gap between the Democratic and Republican positions.
Aides of the two leaders and the president worked into the wee hours on details of a potential bargain but to no avail. No agreement to avert the first partial shutdown of the federal government in 16 years was reached.
That led Sen. Harry Reid to say on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he was feeling less upbeat than he felt Wednesday. Reid said the sides had neared agreement on the size of spending cuts in any legislation to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2011 which ends in September.
The sticking point, Reid said, was more the ideology embodied in the the policy riders that would ban taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and bar the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing clean air rules.
Reid said:
"... The numbers are basically there. But I am not nearly as optimistic, and that's an understatement as I was 11 hours ago. The numbers are extremely close. Our differences are no longer over how much savings we get from government spending. The only thing, the only thing, holding up an agreement is ideology."
Meanwhile, the Republican-led House took up a another new continuing spending resolution that would fund the federal government for another week, the exception being the military which would be funded for the rest of the year.
That would provide service members with the assurance that they would receive their paychecks without fail.
The legislation would also cut $12 billion in additional money from fiscal year 2011 spending, the current year which ends in September.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) who opened the Republican side of the debate on the legislation said:
"The time has now come for the hapless liberal Democrats elites in the Senate and the White House to make a decision. It's time to decide between acting responsibly, abandoning favorite political alliances, and continuing their failed big-government policies as a solution to all earthly problems."
The legislation is expected to pass in the House. But the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Obama have said it's a non-starter. Democrats are insisting on a spending bill that funds government activities for the balance of the fiscal year since the government has been operating for more than half a year on a series of short-term spending bills.
Short of that, Reid said he might consider one more short-term spending bill that would give negotiators more time to work out a longer-term deal so long as it was "clean" meaning no spending cuts or policy riders.
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/110407/5/2peeh.html
寄給朋友| 友善列印| 字級設定: 小 中 大 巨
美國政府要停擺?歐巴馬傷腦筋
中央社 更新日期:"2011/04/07 14:09"
(中央社華盛頓6日綜合外電報導)為了避免政府關門大吉,美國總統歐巴馬今天深夜在白宮召開緊急會議,與國會領袖研商。
針對美國聯邦政府預算刪減案,白宮和國會在8日以前還能協商取得共識。若預算持續無法通過,隔天美國政府恐怕得暫時關閉。
白宮官員說,會議在大約1個半小時後結束。歐巴馬會後表示,會議很具建設性,但談判人員仍必須努力。政府和共和黨在預算刪減案上的歧見已經縮小,但仍須需要徹夜緊急協商。
與會人士包括副總統拜登(Joe Biden)、眾議院共和黨領袖貝納(John Boehner),以及參議院民主黨領袖瑞德(Harry Reid)。
歐巴馬先前曾要共和黨「停止玩遊戲」,他說:「我不願見到政治當道,阻礙美國進步。」共和黨則說他缺乏領導能力。
歐巴馬也提到最近讓美國景氣燃起希望的就業報告,並警告政府停擺將對經濟造成相當嚴重的後果。
「企業討厭不確定。倘若政府突然停擺,很可能當我們需要加足馬力,力求成長的此刻,卻反而後繼無力。而這一切都是政治因素所造成。」
共和黨和民主黨都說希望避免政府關門,若萬一事與願違,數以萬計的聯邦公務員將領不到薪水,並影響上千家與聯邦政府締結契約的企業。
美國政府今天仍在思索,若是國會沒有通過預算案,導致部分政府必須關門,該如何解決。這也將是1995-96年柯林頓執政時期以來,再度面臨如此高度政治色彩的預算案之爭。
根據國會研究處(CRS)報告,1995年11月當時政府關門5天,導致80萬名公務人員暫時遭到資遣。
政府第2次關門是1995年12月15日至隔年1月6日,整整21天,為史上之最。28萬4000名公務員失業,47萬5000人無薪工作。
政府高階官員今天表示,儘管政府結構不同,但這次影響人數大致與1995年的「80萬人相去不遠」。
官員指出,其他受影響的服務包括:
※小型企業署(Small Business Administration)的借貸與擔保中止。
※國家公園、名勝古蹟和華府的史密森尼博物館(Smithsonian)關閉。
※許多退稅暫延,但徵稅不受影響。
※簽證和辦護照可能延遲。
※美國聯邦住房管理局(FHA)中止房貸擔保,可能拖延房屋買賣。
※美國國家衛生研究院(National Institutes of Health)無法開始新臨床試驗,或接收新病患研究。
※華府本週末預定的「櫻花季」遊行將取消。
軍隊、邊境管理、空中運輸管制,和聯邦監獄等「必要」服務會持續。
高階官員說,包括14萬名在伊拉克與阿富汗服役的士兵在內,美軍「這段期間仍給薪,但因為我們沒有錢,所以直到國會同意(預算案)之前,他們不會收到薪水支票... 一旦有錢就會付給他們」。
情報機構高層表示,一旦聯邦政府關閉,美國中央情報局(CIA)、聯邦調查局(FBI)和其他情報機構可能打算讓重要員工休假。
數名國家安全和反恐官員表示,如果國會和白宮未能在預算案達成協議,繼續資助聯邦調查機構,這些機構備有周密的休假計畫。情報機構打算讓執行「非必要」工作的員工休假。
中情局局潘內達(Leon Panetta)在寄給員工的內部消息中說:「不管發生何事,中情局絕不會停止承擔我們對國家的責任。」
聯邦調查局局長穆勒(Robert Mueller)表示,預期聯邦調查局也會受停工影響,但必要工作還是會持續進行。(譯者:中央社戴雅真)1000407
(中央社檔案照片)
Obama Calls Boehner, Reid Back To White House To Try Averting Shutdown
Categories: Budget, White House, Congress
11:53 am
April 7, 2011
by Frank James
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
Enlarge Charles Dharapak/AP
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
Charles Dharapak/AP
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speak to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
In the game of chicken (or is it Russian roulette?) that could have as its outcome a partial shutdown of the federal government, President Obama has invited Congress' two top leaders — Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) back to the White House for more negotiations early Thursday afternoon.
The two will return to the White House a little more than 12 hours after they left it without reaching any agreement to bridge the gap between the Democratic and Republican positions.
Aides of the two leaders and the president worked into the wee hours on details of a potential bargain but to no avail. No agreement to avert the first partial shutdown of the federal government in 16 years was reached.
That led Sen. Harry Reid to say on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he was feeling less upbeat than he felt Wednesday. Reid said the sides had neared agreement on the size of spending cuts in any legislation to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2011 which ends in September.
The sticking point, Reid said, was more the ideology embodied in the the policy riders that would ban taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and bar the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing clean air rules.
Reid said:
"... The numbers are basically there. But I am not nearly as optimistic, and that's an understatement as I was 11 hours ago. The numbers are extremely close. Our differences are no longer over how much savings we get from government spending. The only thing, the only thing, holding up an agreement is ideology."
Meanwhile, the Republican-led House took up a another new continuing spending resolution that would fund the federal government for another week, the exception being the military which would be funded for the rest of the year.
That would provide service members with the assurance that they would receive their paychecks without fail.
The legislation would also cut $12 billion in additional money from fiscal year 2011 spending, the current year which ends in September.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) who opened the Republican side of the debate on the legislation said:
"The time has now come for the hapless liberal Democrats elites in the Senate and the White House to make a decision. It's time to decide between acting responsibly, abandoning favorite political alliances, and continuing their failed big-government policies as a solution to all earthly problems."
The legislation is expected to pass in the House. But the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Obama have said it's a non-starter. Democrats are insisting on a spending bill that funds government activities for the balance of the fiscal year since the government has been operating for more than half a year on a series of short-term spending bills.
Short of that, Reid said he might consider one more short-term spending bill that would give negotiators more time to work out a longer-term deal so long as it was "clean" meaning no spending cuts or policy riders.
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/110407/5/2peeh.html
寄給朋友| 友善列印| 字級設定: 小 中 大 巨
美國政府要停擺?歐巴馬傷腦筋
中央社 更新日期:"2011/04/07 14:09"
(中央社華盛頓6日綜合外電報導)為了避免政府關門大吉,美國總統歐巴馬今天深夜在白宮召開緊急會議,與國會領袖研商。
針對美國聯邦政府預算刪減案,白宮和國會在8日以前還能協商取得共識。若預算持續無法通過,隔天美國政府恐怕得暫時關閉。
白宮官員說,會議在大約1個半小時後結束。歐巴馬會後表示,會議很具建設性,但談判人員仍必須努力。政府和共和黨在預算刪減案上的歧見已經縮小,但仍須需要徹夜緊急協商。
與會人士包括副總統拜登(Joe Biden)、眾議院共和黨領袖貝納(John Boehner),以及參議院民主黨領袖瑞德(Harry Reid)。
歐巴馬先前曾要共和黨「停止玩遊戲」,他說:「我不願見到政治當道,阻礙美國進步。」共和黨則說他缺乏領導能力。
歐巴馬也提到最近讓美國景氣燃起希望的就業報告,並警告政府停擺將對經濟造成相當嚴重的後果。
「企業討厭不確定。倘若政府突然停擺,很可能當我們需要加足馬力,力求成長的此刻,卻反而後繼無力。而這一切都是政治因素所造成。」
共和黨和民主黨都說希望避免政府關門,若萬一事與願違,數以萬計的聯邦公務員將領不到薪水,並影響上千家與聯邦政府締結契約的企業。
美國政府今天仍在思索,若是國會沒有通過預算案,導致部分政府必須關門,該如何解決。這也將是1995-96年柯林頓執政時期以來,再度面臨如此高度政治色彩的預算案之爭。
根據國會研究處(CRS)報告,1995年11月當時政府關門5天,導致80萬名公務人員暫時遭到資遣。
政府第2次關門是1995年12月15日至隔年1月6日,整整21天,為史上之最。28萬4000名公務員失業,47萬5000人無薪工作。
政府高階官員今天表示,儘管政府結構不同,但這次影響人數大致與1995年的「80萬人相去不遠」。
官員指出,其他受影響的服務包括:
※小型企業署(Small Business Administration)的借貸與擔保中止。
※國家公園、名勝古蹟和華府的史密森尼博物館(Smithsonian)關閉。
※許多退稅暫延,但徵稅不受影響。
※簽證和辦護照可能延遲。
※美國聯邦住房管理局(FHA)中止房貸擔保,可能拖延房屋買賣。
※美國國家衛生研究院(National Institutes of Health)無法開始新臨床試驗,或接收新病患研究。
※華府本週末預定的「櫻花季」遊行將取消。
軍隊、邊境管理、空中運輸管制,和聯邦監獄等「必要」服務會持續。
高階官員說,包括14萬名在伊拉克與阿富汗服役的士兵在內,美軍「這段期間仍給薪,但因為我們沒有錢,所以直到國會同意(預算案)之前,他們不會收到薪水支票... 一旦有錢就會付給他們」。
情報機構高層表示,一旦聯邦政府關閉,美國中央情報局(CIA)、聯邦調查局(FBI)和其他情報機構可能打算讓重要員工休假。
數名國家安全和反恐官員表示,如果國會和白宮未能在預算案達成協議,繼續資助聯邦調查機構,這些機構備有周密的休假計畫。情報機構打算讓執行「非必要」工作的員工休假。
中情局局潘內達(Leon Panetta)在寄給員工的內部消息中說:「不管發生何事,中情局絕不會停止承擔我們對國家的責任。」
聯邦調查局局長穆勒(Robert Mueller)表示,預期聯邦調查局也會受停工影響,但必要工作還是會持續進行。(譯者:中央社戴雅真)1000407
(中央社檔案照片)
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