Top Senate Democrats took a break from their annual retreat Thursday afternoon to criticize Republicans for going spending-cut crazy.
“The House Republican proposal is not responsible,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on a conference call with reporters.
Last week, Reid called the House Republicans’ plan to slash $34 billion from current spending levels over the next six months “unworkable.” Just today, under pressure from their right flank, GOP leaders increased that number to about $58 billion.
That infighting, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is “causing gridlock that could risk a government shutdown.”
Schumer and other Democrats have proposed cutting the deficit by eliminating tax subsidies for oil companies — an idea that GOP leaders (and some Democrats) have rejected.
“They’re allied with the oil companies, we understand that,” Schumer said. “But there’s going to have to be some compromise here.”
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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