President Obama has personally weighed in on the deadlocked budget negotiations, calling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner. Unfortunately, it seems to have had little effect. Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel, said the speaker “repeated to the president that there is no ‘deal,’ and he will continue to push for the largest possible spending cuts.” Boehner continues to face pressure from the right to call for the full $61 billion in cuts passed by the House two months ago. Addressing proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other partisan targets, Obama also told Boehner and Reid the administration continues “to oppose efforts to use this process to further an ideological agenda on the issues that have nothing at all to do with reducing spending or reducing the deficit.” GOP leaders, however, say these cuts are necessary to get the bill through the House. Congress has until April 8 to pass a budget or the federal government shuts down.
