Mar 30 2011
The next deadline for a possible government shutdown is fast approaching, but lawmakers continue to be at odds over finalizing a current-year spending bill. Key among the stumbling blocks are legislative riders, including conservative-backed amendments that would cut off funding for the health law and advance other contentious social issues.
The Washington Post: With 'Time Short,' Congress Still At Impasse On Shutdown Talks
Still unsettled among the aides is what to do with dozens of policy prescriptions on contentious social and regulatory issues that were attached to the House legislation (Kane, 3/28).
The Wall Street Journal: Government Shutdown Grows Likelier
Talks between congressional leaders and the White House on a deal to fund the government for the rest of the year appear to have slowed, with Democrats and Republicans loudly bickering over the fate of their negotiations. … The coming days represent a crucial stage in the negotiations if both sides are to avert a government shutdown. Last week, Vice President Joe Biden played a role in keeping the talks on track after a session broke up in acrimony. But he has been trying to keep a low profile, said one Democrat familiar with the negotiations, out of concern that Republicans would rather not be seen as making a deal with the White House. … Another stumbling block: conservative-backed amendments contained in the House bill that would cut off funding for the health-care law and other administration priorities (Lee and Hook, 3/29).
 This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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