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Wall Street Journal Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Seib on whether Congress will quickly reach a deal to avoid a government shutdown.
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Next battle over keep in the government running past.
Mark your calendars march 27 bring -- -- -- velocity journal's Washington bureau chief Jerry.
There is some talk out there though that this might actually been easier battled them last time.
It starts to look that way you know I don't think either side either party has much interest in flirting with shutting down -- government on March 27 because.
A bill can't be passed to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year so.
I think the likely scenario and this is actually gonna start unfolding this week already in the house.
He is a bill -- so called continuing resolution -- funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year until September.
That's simply continues funding at the sequester levels now.
Within that bill they're gonna probably play around with the numbers a little bit to create a little more flexibility say for the Defense Department.
All on how it can implement those lower levels post sequester levels of spending.
But I think the broader battle here is going to be fought and other matters to sequester kinds of spending cuts seem to be settling in at least for awhile.
-- Jerry I mean that has this worst case scenario rhetoric that we heard from the White House and now apparently backing off.
-- that -- the credibility of the president a little bit when it comes to the impacts of spending cuts.
Well probably a little bit although the you know the weekend saw a shift in the rhetoric obviously -- that conversation now as much more about long term impacts I still think there's some potential there for that you know this furlough notices don't go out until this week they have thirty days federal employees due to two to the for a -- can kick in.
And say you're not gonna see the real impact and for at least another month in at least in terms of full fledged people being -- called off their jobs kind of impact.
And so we'll see what it feels like an April but I don't think in March we're gonna have horror stories popping up we may have occasion -- inconveniences.
That's why I think that this sequestered is settling in as -- going to be with us for awhile I think that the challenges to shift the conversation.
Two cuts that actually getting the things that are driving the deficit which are entitlements.
-- and that when are we gonna hear about that mean that it sure will move ourselves into April.
We're still the exact same place we started you know but this is just they're getting bigger by the second.
Well look I mean Republicans in the house are focused has said this week on on passing something -- -- the government for the rest of the year the creates some flexibility.
Within that the -- -- levels I think in the senate there there are some conversations that are starting in both parties and I think President Obama sort of -- dinner with some phone calls.
This weekend to try to shift the conversation towards a big deal toward.
A deal that goes beyond the sequester and actually starts to get it things there really are driving.
The the deficit and that's what's frustrating about this a question of people who are.
Budget walks in their -- the surrounding Washington.
It's -- to cut spending but what -- you cut the spending that's actually creating the deficit which is on entitlement and and and automatic spending programs.
Rather than the parts of the government that are already shrinking in size -- -- and that domestic discretionary spending.
It's kind of a case of the wrong cuts that make some people feel better but that don't really address the problem.
-- -- very quickly looks to me flat.
The Democrats will say okay we'll have entitlement reform but Republicans are gonna have to come up with -- Hikes in taxes can the Republicans do that if they get pretty much what they want on entitlement reform.
Well that's certainly were stuck now on a big -- but if you actually get tax reform that can change the way people count tax revenues maybe that's the way to unlock that that particular box we shall see -- that's an early Christmas.
