With no way to get their $61 billion in cuts through the Senate, House Republicans are now pushing a two-week stopgap spending plan in hopes of preventing a government shutdown. The new measure is to be a pro-rated version of the original plan, which means it will include some $4 billion in cuts over the two weeks, Politico reports. The GOP wants to "leave the hot potato" in "Harry Reid's hands," writes Jonathan Allen.
"It’s up to Sen. Reid to tell Americans what—if anything—he’s willing to cut," said a rep for John Boehner. But Reid’s office slammed the plan, calling it "nothing more than the same extreme package the House already handed the Senate, just with a different bow. This isn’t a compromise, it’s a hardening of their original position. It isn't going to fool anyone." (More John Boehner stories.)