CRISISBOOM

By Alexander Bolton

thehill.com

The chances of a government shutdown are on the rise.

With less than three weeks to strike a deal before government funding for the year is scheduled to expire, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are moving in opposite directions.

Lawmakers from both parties stress they want to avoid a rerun of the stalemate that led to a shutdown in late 1995 and early 1996. But the rhetoric on spending has escalated, and Democratic and GOP officials are already prepping for the blame game.

Positions have hardened after a revolt last week by House conservatives, who forced GOP leaders to nearly double their proposed spending cuts for 2011.

If the cuts pass the House, Senate Democrats say they are dead on arrival in the upper chamber.

“I think the direction of last week is the wrong direction and puts us closer on the path to a Read more…