White House fails to end impasse on federal budget

WASHINGTON — A federal government shutdown came one day closer to reality Tuesday, as a White House meeting with leaders in Congress failed to produce a compromise spending plan.

Since the Republican House and the Democratic Senate remain divided, the government is days away from having its legal authority to spend money expire. Congress must pass a bill by midnight Friday to avert a shutdown of most federal agencies.

GOP: Party seeking dramatic changes in Medicare and Medicaid

BUDGET: House GOP proposes nearly $6 trillion in cuts

After the White House meeting, the participants gave simultaneous — if different — accounts:

•President Obama. "We are now closer than we have ever been to getting an agreement," he said in a surprise briefing. "The only question is whether politics or ideology are going to get in the way of preventing a government shutdown."

•Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "The Tea Party is driving the House of Representatives. It's not a matter of a number. We can get them their number. It's ideological with them."

•House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "We're going to fight for the largest cuts possible — real cuts, not more smoke and mirrors," he said.

Reid and Obama object to GOP proposals to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Republicans take gamble with 2012 budget proposal

Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a politically risky 2012 proposal that aims to bring down huge budget deficits by cutting healthcare benefits for the poor and elderly.

The 2012 budget blueprint from Paul Ryan, chairman of the House of Representatives's budget committee, builds on the Republican Party's campaign promise to scale back the size of the federal government.

His plan for the fiscal year that begins October 1 would achieve nearly $6 trillion in savings over the next decade, chipping away at a budget deficit that this year is expected to hit $1.4 trillion.

"This is a budget that creates economic growth. It is a budget to pay off our national debt. It is a budget to get our fiscal track on the right track," Ryan said.

But the plan drew harsh criticism.

"While we agree with his ultimate goal, we strongly disagree with his approach," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. The House Republican plan, Carney added, "cuts taxes for millionaires and special interests while placing a greater burden" on the elderly, children with disabilities, students and workers who have lost their health coverage.