Bachmann, tea party oppose budget compromise

by Brett Neely, Minnesota Public Radio

Washington — Congressional negotiators are reportedly closing in on a deal to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year.

The plan would cut about $33 billion in spending, far less than the $100 billion demanded by conservative tea party members and many freshman Republicans in Congress.

At a rally across the street from the Capitol in Washington on Thursday, Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota urged several hundred tea party supporters to keep up the pressure on Republican leaders not to cut a deal with Democrats.

"Don't back down, and I know you won't. We will stand for cutting the size of government, we won't change our principles," Bachmann said.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner tried to prepare the no-compromise crowd earlier in the day. Like it or not, he made clear, a budget compromise loomed on the horizon.

"We control one-half of one-third of the government here in Washington," Boehner told reporters at his weekly briefing. "We can't impose our will on the Senate. All we can do is to fight for all of the spending cuts that we can get an agreement to."

Much of the federal government will shut down if Congress doesn't reach an agreement on spending by April 8.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)