White House Orders Agencies To Prep For Government Shutdown

TPM ^ | April 5, 2011, 8:43AM | Brian Beutler |

[11th_VA]

It's not just the House of Representatives.

In another sign that neither side in the spending cut fight is confident that a government shutdown can be avoided, the White House has ordered federal agencies to prep for a government shutdown.

Ed O'Keefe at the Washington Post obtained the memo from a federal official, and confirmed its authenticity with the Office of Management and Budget.

"[G]iven the realities of the calendar, good management requires that we continue contingency planning for an orderly shutdown should the negotiations not be completed by" April 8, the memo reads. More guidance should be forthcoming today. The development occurs just as House leadership is distributing guidance members of Congress about shutdown protocol.

Congressional leaders will meet with President Obama at the White House Tuesday in a last-ditch effort break the logjam and reach a spending deal before the end of the week. If an agreement isn't reached, both sides are at the ready to blame the other for the shutdown.

[Keith in Iowa]

“Listening to lefties’ opinions about the Ryan budget is like listening to my dog’s opinions about the vacuum cleaner.” — @iowahawkblog

http://twitter.com/#!/iowahawkblog/status/55306664588480514

[Dengar01]

I remember the last time they shut down, I live in upstate New York and nobody here even noticed. What we see is bad roads, bad court system and police who have nothing better to do than give speeding tickets.

LOL!!! That is how it is in Crook County, IL. We are so broke that they literally have every officer they can find trap people speeding and have changed the speed limit in areas overnight so they can ticket people.

They put the CROOK in Crook County!

[chris_bdba]

I agree with you compund that with the fact that few people had internet access in 1995 and the medai had a strangehold.....dems are throwing the dice and still thinking it is 1995

[chris_bdba]

I think Frinda is the deadline for a deal...sorry.

[chris_bdba]

I think Friday is the deadline for a deal...sorry.

[George from New England]

IOW: In the remaining hours until shutdown, engineer and plan to inflict the most civilian pain. Make plans to cut off as much as possible from the military.

Keyword: sabotage

p.s. If it worked in Wisconsin, it’ll work nationally.

[libs_kma]

Ya know, I really wonder what the dims were thinking by passing on submitting a budget last year, knowing that they were punting the ball to the pubbies.

Now granted, I know that the election was days away from when the budget was due, and they could have shot themselves in the foot with submitting it and giving the GOP more ammo right before the election, and 2) doing a budget is just plain hard work...and congress in general and dims specifically shun hard work whenever they can....

But the dims really should have pushed a budget through while they had majority in the house!! How bad could it have been? They have the knee pad media covering for them in a way that puts Pravda to shame! WTF were they thinking??

[NoGrayZone]

Good, shut the beast down! They are obviously trying the “reverse psychology”......the party of unintended consequences.

Bunch of dumb a$$es!

[thulldud]

The difference between now and then is 1) Obama is not as good a salesman as Slick Willy,

As Barry once said, "The difference is, this time you've got ME."