Obama Administration Warns Govt. Employees of Possible Shutdown

(Newsroom America) -- The Obama administration on Wednesday warned federal employees of a possible looming government shutdown if talks over funding operations and payroll tax cuts break down later this week.

As a Friday deadline approaches for lawmakers to agree to a short-term or final funding measure, agency chiefs were set to notify employees via email Wednesday evening that a shutdown could occur, the Washington Post reported, quoting multiple sources. The Office of Management and Budget's Kenneth Baer, in a statement said, "There is no reason for the government to shut down," noting that Congress has time to pass short-term spending measures as lawmakers have more than a half-dozen times already this year.

However, "We do need to be prepared for any contingency," he said, adding that was why agency managers were set to notify employees via email.

Republicans said Tuesday they had reached a tentative deal with Democrats on the Appropriation Committee to fund the government through the current fiscal year, the Post said.

But GOP leaders charged that the White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid, D-Nev., have told members who brokered the pact to hold off signing a report that would send the package for a vote until a separate vote is held on a payroll extension.

© 2011 Newsroom America.

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