A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) responded to comments from House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) this morning that suggested Reid has no plan to cut spending.
During a speech to the Credit Union National Association on Wednesday, Boehner said that the Senate’s top Democrat is impartial to reducing the nation’s deficit.
“I’m not sure whether Senator Reid has a plan to cut spending and keep the government running,” Boehner said. “If he does, I think the American people would be interested in seeing it. If he doesn’t, I think he owes the American people an explanation.”
Those comments drew the ire of Reid’s camp.
“That’s tough talk from someone who is being bossed around by a bunch of freshman,” said the spokesman for Reid. “It’s surprising that the Speaker of the House is unaware that the Senate is voting on a bill to fund the government and cut spending this morning.”
Reid announced yesterday that the Senate would pass the House’s temporary funding measure that will keep the government running until March 18. It appears though that neither party is remotely close to reaching agreement on a long-term funding package.
Boehner’s remarks were likely intended to pressure Senate Democrats into compromising with House Republicans who passed a budget last month that included $61 billion worth of spending cuts.