John Boehner’s offer puts President Obama on the spot

John Boehner’s offer puts President Obama on the spotBy: Carrie Budoff Brown and Jonathan Allen
October 10, 2013 03:34 PM EDT

John Boehner and Barack Obama are pictured. | AP Photos

President Barack Obama may get the clean debt limit extension he’s been demanding, but it wouldn’t be a clean victory.By adopting the House GOP plan to raise the debt ceiling, Obama would avoid a potentially crippling blow to the economy and, in the White House’s view, finally break Republicans of their habit of seeking concessions each time the debt ceiling needs to be raised.

But the downsides are significant. The federal government might not immediately reopen, there’s no guarantee Republicans would stop using the debt limit as leverage in the future and Obama could find himself in the same position once the temporary extension expires.

(PHOTOS: 25 great shutdown quotes) Continue reading “John Boehner’s offer puts President Obama on the spot”

G.O.P. Elders See Liabilities in Shutdown

By JONATHAN MARTIN

Published: October 3, 2013 17 Comments

WASHINGTON — The hard-line stance of Republican House members on the government shutdown is generating increasing anger among senior Republican officials, who say the small bloc of conservatives is undermining the party and helping President Obama just as the American people appeared to be losing confidence in him.

From statehouses to Capitol Hill, frustration is building and spilling out during closed-door meetings as Republicans press leaders of the effort to block funding for the health care law to explain where their strategy is ultimately leading.

“Fighting with the president is one thing,” said Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri. “Fighting with the president and losing is another thing. When you’re in the minority you need to look really hard to find the fights you can win.” Continue reading “G.O.P. Elders See Liabilities in Shutdown”

GOP lawmakers want to cut federal workforce to avoid sequester

By Kellie Lunney February 6, 2013

Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., center, responds to a reporter’s question with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., right, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Republican lawmakers in both chambers on Wednesday proposed reducing the federal workforce through attrition to avoid sequestration this year.

The 2013 Down Payment to Protect National Security Act would cut the entire government workforce by 10 percent through attrition at an estimated savings of $85 billion over the next decade. It would replace the sequester for one year: The government will need to trim $85 billion in Defense and non-defense spending in fiscal 2013 if sequestration takes effect on March 1. Continue reading “GOP lawmakers want to cut federal workforce to avoid sequester”