Senate Democrats Respond To House Republicans' Offer

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One week before a possible government
shut-down, Senate Democrats respond
to an offer from House Republicans
that would keep the government
running for two more weeks while
cutting $4 billion.

"The plan the Republicans are
floating today sounds like a
modified version of what
Democrats were talking about,"
that was proposed to Republicans
Thursday, Jon Summers- spokesman
for Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid of Nevada.

The proposal Thursday was
different in that it related to
a longer term spending bill that
would last until October 1, the
beginning of the new fiscal year.

In the short term bill, House
Majority Leader Eric Cantor,
Republican-Virginia, explained to
reporters Friday the $4 billion in
spending cuts would come from
terminating eight programs that
President Obama included in his
proposed 2012 budget and the
elimination of earmarks, the
same two areas Senate Democrats
said Thursday they were considering.

The cuts offered are intended to
find common ground with Democrats,
per Republicans.

These are things that people have
agreed to already," House GOP Whip
Kevin McCarthy.

The Republican plan aims at
slicing-away $650 million in highway
funds, $200 million in housing funds
and $250 million for a reading program
at the Department of Education plus it
eliminates a literacy program at that
department which the administration
labeled "ineffective."

Democrats accused Republicans of
wanting indiscriminate budget cuts.