Government Shutdown 2011

WASHINGTON - Congressional and administration negotiators Obama worked at the White House until nearly two hours Thursday morning in an effort to finalize a budget agreement that would avoid a government shutdown.
But all Assistant Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) - along with the White House director of legislative affairs, Rob Nabors - have been able to achieve a better understanding about the size of spending cuts, a major conflict remains on such policy changes will be allowed in the final bill.
According to a leading aid democratic, the three parties met yesterday at the White House for about half past three after President Obama, Reid and Boehner had meetings of their own.
The negotiations were successful, the aide said. Democrats have decided to add about 1.5 billion reduction in spending of 33 billion dollars which they had already accepted. In exchange, they were told that the overall package of cuts would be restructured, with $ 3 billion in savings from Pentagon spending rather than discretionary programs - a priority for the Democratic negotiators, the aide said.
The forward movement ended there, however. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said Thursday morning that "there is no agreement on spending cuts." He added that both parties remained outside the policy issues.
Indeed, democracy assistance, which was briefed on the negotiations last night, said that "negotiations broke down without resolution yesterday evening riders, amendments that the political leadership has joined the GOP bill expenditures.
Disagreements about whether or not the final legislative language should include an overhaul of how federal money is spent on family planning services. Republicans insisted that the system be changed so that the funds sent by the state governments rather than directly to organizations - such as family planning - themselves. Democrats countered that the change would mean a de facto not only refuse an abortion, but also limit access to cancer screenings, Pap smears and blood pressure, among others.