Bill would keep government running for another week

House Republicans have introduced another short-term funding measure to prevent the government from shutting down for at least another week, but President Barack Obama says he's opposed to further stopgap bills.

Current funding for federal agencies expires April 8. The latest continuing resolution introduced April 4 (H.R. 1363) would appropriate Defense Department funding for the remainder of fiscal 2011 while cutting an estimated $12 billion in discretionary spending.

A government shutdown at the end of this week is possible. Congressional leaders have been unable to reach a long-term budget compromise.

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House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) introduced the bill that would keep the government running through April 15.

“This bill is not the preferable way to go forward, and I would greatly prefer to come to a final agreement with the Senate to put this long-over budget work behind us,” Rogers said. “However, we must maintain critical programs and services for the American people and protect our nation’s financial future.”

The spending cuts contained in the legislation were also part of H.R. 1, an appropriations bill the House passed in February.

Obama met with congressional leaders and the leaders of the House and Senate spending panels this morning to discuss the fiscal 2011 budget, but it appears that consensus remains elusive.

The office of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the White House meeting did not resolve the standoff over funding the government for the rest of this fiscal year, The Hill reports. Boehner is rallying members of his party to support the latest funding extension.

Obama said at an impromptu news conference today there is “no excuse” for failing to pass a budget for the rest of this year and added that he is no longer willing to accept short-term deals to temporarily fund agencies, according to The New York Times.