Paul Ryan Not Pushing for Shutdown

Maybe the federal government won’t grind to a halt after all. U.S. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan says he’s not pushing for a government shutdown and that it's likely there will be a short-term extension of the budget while Democrats and Republicans try to reconcile their budgets. Senate Democrats have proposed a $41 billion cut in the 2011 budget, while the House Republicans want $100 billion cut. Without a temporary extension of the budget, the federal government would shut down on March 4, potentially causing mass layoffs and a sudden halt to government services.