Obama: Lawmakers Close To Agreement On Budget
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- President Barack Obama says Democrats and Republicans are close to an agreement on the amount of spending cuts needed in order to keep the government operating and avoid a government shutdown.
Obama says there are details and differences to work out, but he says a compromise is within reach.
The president made the comments during a visit Friday to a shipping facility in Landover, Md. He spoke shortly after the release of a positive jobs report for March.
Obama said it would be "the height of irresponsibility" to shut down the government as the economy starts to recover. Lawmakers must reach an agreement by April 8 in order to avoid a shutdown.
Both sides are discussing cutting spending by an amount in the $33 billion range.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
