House GOP Tries Going it Alone on Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stuck in a budget quagmire with Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama, House Republicans are suggesting they can run the government without them.

The GOP is pushing for a House vote Friday that would declare their $61 billion in budget cuts the law of the land if the Senate and Obama don't act on the spending measure before April 9. That's the day the government would shut down if Congress doesn't pass a budget for the next six months, or a shorter interim.

The House passed its version in February, but the Democratic-led Senate rejected it. Republicans say the vote Friday is intended to hold Democrats accountable if there's a shutdown. They acknowledge, however, that Friday's bill would have no practical effect unless the Senate passed it, too.