Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the committee, cast doubt this week on Congress reaching an agreement at all. Differences between Republicans and Democrats on defense and nondefense spending remain with no politically palpable solution in sight, he said.

“This discussion has not progressed an inch in nine months,” he told reporters at a breakfast roundtable. “There is no solution. Ok? Every single option that’s on the table is politically impossible. And nobody wants to vote for it.”

He predicted a 24-hour shutdown next week.


“I would imagine what’s going to happen is that we’re going to run into that brick wall that I just described and the government will shut down for about 24 hours until we go, ‘Well, shit, that’s not popular either,’” Smith said.

“And then I don’t know because there’s a growing list of people who don’t even support a CR because they’re quite correct in saying that a CR is a horrific way to run the government," he continued.

"And by the way, of all the things that we do, it is the worst for national security.”

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/36...obble-military