Top lawmakers are aiming to forge a deal to keep the government operating beyond next week, even as Republican measures to restrict funding for abortions and the Obama administration's health care act threaten to derail it.
If Congress fails to iron out differences before December 16, lawmakers will be forced to pass another temporary spending measure or risk a government shutdown and the wrath of voters increasingly disenchanted with Washington.
"We cannot allow the government to remain on autopilot for another fiscal year," said Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, who helps oversee spending as the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Inouye was speaking on Thursday to a committee of lawmakers in charge of hashing out the deal.
Congress managed to pass bills to fund housing, agriculture, transportation and justice departments for the fiscal year ending October 1, 2012. But it still needs to figure out how to fund other crucial government functions such as homeland security, labor, foreign affairs and health.
And make no mistake, health is the big one. Republicans have eliminated almost all funding for implementing health care reform measures, and have zeroed out funding for Planned Parenthood. Tea Party Republicans say they'll block any attempts to restore funding. It's a mess, and without a deal by a week from today, there will be a partial shutdown of health services, possibly including VA hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid.
The clock is back on, and there appears to be no real change right now. Will there be a punt until after the new year? Who knows. One thing's for sure: Republicans cause a shutdown and they block the payroll tax extension again, the voters are not going to be happy with them.
And the Republicans know it.
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