Johnson: It’s Up to Dems to Avert Government Shutdown

Republicans in the U.S, House of Representatives say if the federal government shuts down over a budget impasse, it won't be their fault.

15th district congressman Tim Johnson returned to Champaign-Urbana Thursday with an additional two weeks remaining until the federal government would have to shut down without a spending plan in place for the rest of the fiscal year.

But Johnson said Democrats in the Senate and White House need to make the next move.

"We've done our job," Johnson told reporters at Willard Airport. "We'll see what they come back with. But I don't want to have this mantra that we faced from 1995 where (Democrats said) 'It's the Republicans who are shutting down government.' It's not the Republicans shutting down government. We have acted. They didn't act. They controlled the whole process for upwards of half the fiscal year and did nothing."

On Thursday the Obama administration proposed another $6.5 billion in cuts, but Johnson said that pales in comparison to the $100 billion cut the GOP has promised, and he doesn't see the spirit of compromise in the President's offer.

Johnson also defended a provision in the Republicans' plan that zeroes out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Johnson - who has been a member of the House Public Broadcasting Caucus - said the budget had to be passed, even with the severe cut.

"You can't fail to act on the budget simply because there are certain items within the budget that you'd rather see reenacted," he said. "Certainly that's of concern; there are a number of areas of concern to me. But the overwhelming concern is that we're in debt, we're broke and we have to do something about it.