Another Shutdown? Conservatives Push To Scuttle Budget Deal

Another GOP House Leader is about to get undercut again. Paul Ryan is about to get attacked from the right, so watch Ryan back out of whatever budget deal he is working with Murray, and watch the MSM attack Democrats for failing to show leadership by capitulating to their demands.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/house-conservatives-push-to-scuttle-budget-deal-risking-shutdown

House conservatives are pushing to subvert a budget agreement being negotiated by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) that would mitigate some of the painful sequester cuts and remove the threats of government shutdown.

A letter signed by at least 18 conservative Republicans urges Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to bring up a "clean" continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at the low sequester level when money expires on Jan. 15. The GOP signatories insist they want to avoid another confrontation and argue that Democrats would be responsible for a shutdown if they refuse to keep spending at levels established under current law.

"The Budget Control Act is the law of the land," the lawmakers write. "Our Democrat colleagues are now threatening to shut the government down in order to change that. We should not permit that to happen. Again, we encourage you to bring a clean CR to the floor."

The sequester orders 2014 spending at $967 billion -- hardline conservatives don't want to spend a penny more than that. Ryan and Murray are close to a deal that raises spending to about $1 trillion. Democrats roundly oppose sequester spending levels and many Republicans, especially defense hawks, want to ease the cuts because they believe they're unsustainable and damaging to national security. House Republican leaders support the Ryan-Murray framework but are often at the mercy of their right flank.