Boehner Claims No Deal on Budget Cuts

Politico reports:

With less than a week left before government funding expires, the rift between Republicans and Democrats on a budget agreement appears as wide as ever.

President Barack Obama on Saturday called House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and said Democrats and Republicans have agreed “to work off the same number” — $73 billion in cuts to 2011 spending.

(The $73 billion figure measures against the level proposed in the president’s fiscal 2011 budget 13 months ago. The first $40 billion represents a spending freeze at 2010 levels, rather than the increase the president sought. Another $10 billion in cuts have been made in two continuing resolutions funding the government for the last five weeks. The final $23 billion, which is still under discussion, would come from the final six months of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30).

But that number strong>has not been accepted by Boehner<, who is facing a potential rebellion among more conservative members of his caucus who are pushing for more cuts. Michael Steel, his spokesman, told POLITICO the speaker “repeated to the president that there is no ‘deal,’ and he will continue to push for the largest possible spending cuts.”

The current deal to fund the government expires Friday, and despite hints that a new agreement was emerging last week, the two parties appear to be no closer to a deal to avoid the first government shutdown in more than a decade.

In fact, the White House readout said an administration “team” is working with congressional appropriators “to help reach resolution on the composition of those cuts,” signaling that Democrats are working off a number that Boehner has characterized as unacceptable to a large swath of his caucus.