Tag: federal shutdown

As the federal government nears a shutdown, scheduled to begin in just over 10 hours, latest reports on negotiations between the House and Senate, led by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), respectively, posit that the two sides are close on a dollar amount to cut from the 2011 budget — about $5 billion, according to the Washington Post.

According to former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, the budget showdown and looming federal government shutdown is an irrational fight over a relatively insignificant issue. “It’s like politicians in Washington are arguing over the bar tab on the Titanic while we’re heading toward the iceberg ready to sink the entire ship.”

Following the Tuesday release of House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget resolution (PDF), senior groups and analysts have come out specifically against the proposed health care changes, saying seniors would pay twice as much for health care as they are now.