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Democrats Gird for Fall Spending Battles

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the floor Monday to reiterate that he does not want to move forward with spending bills funded at sequester levels.

“If Republicans force us to the brink of another government shutdown for ideological reasons, the economy will suffer. I would suggest to any of my Republican colleagues that has this idea, give a call to Newt Gingrich. He’ll return your phone calls. Ask him how it worked. It was disastrous for Newt Gingrich, the Republicans and the country. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now,” Reid said.

The Nevada Democrat continued, “If Republicans refuse to work with Democrats to negotiate a reasonable budget to reverse these deep cuts, the economy will suffer. It’s time to remove the stumbling block preventing the American economy from recovering and expanding.”

Reid’s statement appears to be part of Senate Democrats’ larger effort to set the table for a larger fight to fund the government that likely will dominate the fall.

Democrats are arguing that through funding the government, lawmakers should roll back the across-the-board sequester cuts that were implemented in March.

Republicans, pushed by the conservative wing of their party, are likely to balk at rolling back spending cuts agreed to in 2011, but they also are already fighting over strategy. Though some conservatives have suggested shutting down the government unless Obamacare is defunded, others have said such a maneuver would be the “dumbest idea.”

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