Senate Leader Losing Hope

By Rachel Whitt

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) told reporters Tuesday that he is “not very optimistic” that Congress will be able to reach a budget deal before government funding runs out on April 8th.

“I think that the Tea Party is driving what goes on in the House of Representatives,” Reid said. “We can not do what they want done.” 

Reid’s remarks come as both parties butt heads over a budget plan to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. In February, the Republican controlled House passed a bill that $61.3 billion in spending cuts, a level that neither Senate Democrats or the White House believed was acceptable.

“We have been willing to do what is fair in ratcheting down on programs dealing with domestic discretionary spending,” Reid said. “We can’t go [down] anymore.” 

Reid, who met with President Obama for almost an hour and a half this morning, said that the President wants Congress to reach an agreement quickly, but shares Reid’s sentiments.

“[President Obama] agrees with me: there’s only so much we can do. We have bent over backwards to try to be fair and reasonable,” Reid said. “When you have one party that can’t be fair and reasonable, it makes it a real hard push.”