(Image source: The New York Times)
BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN
Is it a budget battle or something else?
HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: "They would like us to cut spending because it will lead to a better environment for job creators." (VIDEO FROM KSDK)
One of the sticking points - abortion -- policy riders that would defund Planned Parenthood -- and cut local funding for Washington, DC abortions. Democrats are accusing their GOP counterparts of waging a moral war against abortion masked as a spending debate.
The New York Times’ editorial board suggests - it’s not really about spending.
“If the federal government shuts down ... [i]t will be because Republicans are refusing to budge on these ideological demands... Abortion. Environmental protection. Health care. Nothing to do with jobs or the economy; instead, all the hoary greatest hits of the Republican Party...”
But House Speaker John Boehner maintains -- it’s strictly a spending debate.
HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: “Our goal is not to shut down the government. Our goal is to cut spending.” ...
MEGYN KELLY: “...offering a bit of a different message than we heard from the Democrats in the Senate suggesting that the thing that they need to reach agreement on is these policy riders... ... Speaker Boehner saying, that's not the case. Almost all the policy issues have been dealt with. It's the spending cuts that remain to be the issue.”
As late as Friday afternoon - Senate Republicans were debating whether to let go of the Planned Parenthood rider -- or push block grants which would allow governors to decide how to spend the money.
Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign urged his colleagues to concede -- de-funding completely isn’t going to happen.
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R-NV): “The Democrats will never allows us to de-fund it while they’re in charge. So we have to just look at what we can do, what is achievable. And right now I think one of the biggest moral issues that we face in this country is the debt." (Video from C-Span)
Last year President Obama signed an executive order that no federal money could go to abortions -- so in theory that issue has been addressed. Planned Parenthood says it doesn’t use federal money for its abortion services - but CNN’s Dana Bash reports - Republicans have told her privately they don’t buy that.
“They believe that some of this federal money does end up going for abortion services. But in terms of the big picture, politics here, very interesting to watch the Democrats pound away, pound away, that this is a women's health issue and not so much a spending issue. That's in their political interests. As you just heard from the speaker, it is in his little political interest to say he's fighting for spending cuts.”
Ultimately it boils boils down to a he said-she said -- reports MSNBC’s Savannah Guthrie. Friday afternoon Democrats touted a spending cut compromise of $37 billion -- at the same time Republicans said there was no compromise.
Guthrie says -- more than a budget battle or moral crusade -- this is a message war.
“They also clearly do not want to have the government shutdown with the perception being it is shut down not only over some deficit issue or spending or fiscal rectitude but about some ideological issue... The jockeying is just incredible to watch. ... They're trying to get in position for the blame game, who is going to ultimately have to take blame for this.”
Temporary funding expires at midnight Friday.
