Reid Blames “Tea Party Extremists” for Budget Standoff

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/15/reid-blames-tea-party-extremists-for-budget-standoff/?mod=google_news_blog

By Patrick O'Connor

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, Nev.) blamed “tea party extremists” on Tuesday for blocking a compromise that would allow Congress to keep the government running through September, the latest move by Senate Democrats to deflect responsibility for a partial government shutdown.

“Some Tea Party extremists seem to think ‘compromise’ is a dirty word, and have said that they would rather shut down the government than work with Democrats to find a common-sense, bipartisan solution,” Mr. Reid said in a statement Tuesday, ahead of an expected House vote Tuesday to keep the government open another three weeks that sparked another mini-rebellion among outspoken conservatives.

Senate Democrats have spent much of the year trying to insulate themselves if the standoff over a Republican proposal to slash $61 billion from the federal budget results in a partial shutdown of the government. Mr. Reid, citing conservative dissatisfaction with the latest extension, challenged “reasonable Republicans” to “break from tea party extremists and join Democrats to find a responsible, bipartisan solution free of extraneous riders.”

“Or will they sacrifice American jobs to appease their base?” he asked.

A number of conservatives are frustrated with these two- and three-week measures to keep the government running and angry party leaders won’t take a stand on de-funding Planned Parenthood or programs created by the new health-care law. Some have promised to vote against the latest stopgap bill, putting pressure on Republican leaders to broker a final compromise that would keep the government running through the end of September.

This latest bill seeks to keep the government open through April 8 while cutting an additional $6 billion from federal programs. House members are scheduled to vote on it later today.

In a message aimed at its conservative detractors, which include a number of first-year Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told reporters on Tuesday morning. “The House will vote on a bill that brings us to $10 billion in cuts in just five weeks – with more cuts to come.”