The US Senate did pass a bipartisan budget bill. If it were not a bipartisan bill it would have been filibustered by the GOP.
John Boehner prevented negotiation by taking every proposal from the president to a press conference with statements like “He can’t be serious”. Paul Ryan continues to refuse to negotiate taking the newly passed Senate budget bill to the press conference and saying “they’re blowing smoke”.
Negotiating between the House and the Senate is traditionally done in committee. Without distraction from the press, all previous congresses have worked through their differences and produced a functional budget by sitting down and negotiating a compromise. The GOP refuses to do anything like this.
Eric Cantor, republican majority leader in the House, demonstrated the “my way or highway” attitude stating “If Obama is unwilling to stop trying to raise taxes there is now way we can lay aside our differences”. We can lay aside our differences? Raising taxes is the differences. Obama must do all he says or no deal will be made.
The president has no vote in congress. When the GOP House leadership ceases the inflammatory rhetoric and engages in more productive dialog with the Senate, then a deal will be reached.
Angus Croix 