House Spending Impasse Raises Risk of Shutdown
WASHINGTON — The House speaker, John A. Boehner of Ohio, said Thursday that Republicans would not agree to a short-term extension of the spending measure now financing the federal government without additional cuts, sharply raising the stakes in a war of wills with Democrats that officials say could lead to a government shutdown early next month.
The stopgap measure, which expires on March 4, has held spending generally to 2010 levels.
House Republicans are close to approving a spending bill for the balance of the fiscal year that includes the largest spending cuts in modern history — a swift, huge slash of more than $60 billion from domestic programs and foreign aid that they say would fulfill their campaign promise to shrink government outlays.
The bill, which covers spending through Sept. 30, seemed likely to be approved on Friday.