Democrats Foot-Dragging on Spending Talks, House Republicans Say

U.S. House Republicans are accusing Democrats of foot-dragging in negotiations over spending cuts and say they will be responsible for a government shutdown if talks fail.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, said yesterday that the two sides were far apart on a spending plan to take effect April 8, the expiration date of the latest short-term measure funding the government. Congress has passed a series of stopgap measures, known as continuing resolutions, to keep the government operating while Democrats and Republicans try to agree on a long-term budget for the 2011 fiscal year.