Sen. Mike Lee: Obama planned government shutdown
Freshman Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said on the Senate floor Thursday that President Barack Obama might have been planning for the government to shut down all along.
"When the president had both Houses under the control of his party, why did he opt not to pass a budget for fiscal year 2011?" Lee asked. "It was either irresponsible on one hand or deliberate and malicious on the other with intention to bring about a sequence of events that would culminate inevitably in a government shutdown," he continued.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) conceded Thursday morning that a government shutdown was likely, after a late-night meeting Wednesday between Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, and himself. The government will be forced to shut down unless a spending measure is approved by midnight on Friday.
A Gallup poll released Wednesday found that a majority of Americans want to see the two parties compromise and reach a budget deal, but a majority of Republicans wanted their leaders to "[h]old out for the basic budget plan they want, even if that means the government shuts down."
Raw Story: Shutdown looms as Obama budget talks end
Politico: With shutdown looming, riders threaten deal
Patrick Martin: Partial shutdown of US federal government threatens layoff of 800,000 - A partial shutdown of the federal government appeared more likely Thursday night, as negotiations between President Obama and congressional leaders continued. Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a protracted session around lunch time and then reconvened in the evening, with none of the participants revealing any details of the talks. Authorization for further federal government spending expires at midnight Friday night, when the last of six temporary spending extensions expires. At that point, all but “essential” federal operations will begin to shut down, beginning with the closure of weekend operations like museums, parks and other cultural facilities. On Monday, all federal workers are to report to their workplaces to begin closing them down, except for those services designated as “essential.” Some 800,000 out of 1.9 million workers will be laid off—the bulk of the civilian work force.