Rehberg hopes to resolve budget, avert federal shut down

Rehberg hopes to resolve budget, avert federal shut down

Says all items are on the table, Senate must give answers

Tim Leeds

Montana's sole member of the U. S. House of Representatives said he hopes budget issues can be resolved before the federal government shuts down due to a lack of funds.

But Republican Dennis Rehberg said the House needs a serious response from the Democratic-controlled Senate on its budget proposal.

"I don't think they got the message, " he said. "I really don't think the president heard the message of the American public — that we have to come to grips with our spending problem. "

The issue is, how will government set its spending before a March 4 deadline, after which the government would shut down if no financing is provided.

The House has passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill to finance operations through the rest of this fiscal year, through Sept. 30.

That bill cuts domestic agency budgets by more than $60 billion.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed has proposed a continuing resolution to keep the government running at current levels for 30 days to avoid a shutdown.

Rehberg said people have asked why the House proposed a budget that the Senate will not accept.

"We have to not only point out the problem … we have to provide solutions, and this is one of the solutions in trying to control the cost of government, " he said.

He said that nothing is off the table, including Essential Air Service and Amtrak, which Rehberg has supported in the past, including earmarking money for the programs when they were cut or funded at lower levels than requested.

"We know there are effectiveness and efficiency issues in both Amtrak and EAS and any other program at the federal level, " he said, adding that "every program needs to be on the table, looked at. "

He said he even has crossed some members of his own party, voting for reductions in defense and Homeland Security.

If the Senate does not accept the House bill, Rehberg said, it needs to send back an alternative.

"It's easy for them to attack the things that we've presented to them, but we have a plan on the table, " he said. "We should get extra credit points for having a plan. What's their alternative? "

Rehberg, the chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education, said it never is easy to cut programs he supports, but he used a 20-point set of priorities to give all programs fair, equal treatment.

He said continuing spending bills just will continue spending at the current deficit levels.

"They want a continuing resolution without reductions, " Rehberg said. "They could do that to the end of the year and they win. "

He added that he hopes, like basketball fans booing a team using delaying tactics on the floor, Americans will prevent that.

"I kind of think the American public will respond the same way, " Rehberg said.

Montana's sole member of the U. S. House of Representatives said he hopes budget issues can be resolved before the federal government shuts down due to a lack of funds.

But Republican Dennis Rehberg said the House needs a serious response from the Democratic-controlled Senate on its budget proposal.

"I don't think they got the message, " he said. "I really don't think the president heard the message of the American public — that we have to come to grips with our spending problem. "

The issue is, how will government set its spending before a March 4 deadline, after which the government would shut down if no financing is provided.

The House has passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill to finance operations through the rest of this fiscal year, through Sept. 30.

That bill cuts domestic agency budgets by more than $60 billion.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed has proposed a continuing resolution to keep the government running at current levels for 30 days to avoid a shutdown.

Rehberg said people have asked why the House proposed a budget that the Senate will not accept.

"We have to not only point out the problem … we have to provide solutions, and this is one of the solutions in trying to control the cost of government, " he said.

He said that nothing is off the table, including Essential Air Service and Amtrak, which Rehberg has supported in the past, including earmarking money for the programs when they were cut or funded at lower levels than requested.

"We know there are effectiveness and efficiency issues in both Amtrak and EAS and any other program at the federal level, " he said, adding that "every program needs to be on the table, looked at. "

He said he even has crossed some members of his own party, voting for reductions in defense and Homeland Security.

If the Senate does not accept the House bill, Rehberg said, it needs to send back an alternative.

"It's easy for them to attack the things that we've presented to them, but we have a plan on the table, " he said. "We should get extra credit points for having a plan. What's their alternative? "

Rehberg, the chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education, said it never is easy to cut programs he supports, but he used a 20-point set of priorities to give all programs fair, equal treatment.

He said continuing spending bills just will continue spending at the current deficit levels.

"They want a continuing resolution without reductions, " Rehberg said. "They could do that to the end of the year and they win. "

He added that he hopes, like basketball fans booing a team using delaying tactics on the floor, Americans will prevent that.

"I kind of think the American public will respond the same way, " Rehberg said.