Reid will introduce a last-ditch stopgap to avert shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will
introduce a week-long stopgap spending measure on Friday in a last-ditch
attempt to avert a government shutdown.

Reid told reporters Friday morning that negotiations with
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) broke down over one issue: a policy rider
defunding Planned Parenthood.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the legislation would
include an “emergency contingency pot” to fund U.S. troops involved in the
conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The bill, however, would not fund the
full Defense Department through the rest of fiscal year 2011.

{mosads}Reid said he and Boehner agreed to $38 billion in spending
cuts for the rest of the fiscal year, $5 billion more than the target Senate
and House appropriators were working toward earlier this week.

Reid said disputes over every other policy rider were solved
after late-night discussions at the White House Thursday.

Funding for Planned Parenthood and Title X was the one
outstanding issue Friday morning.

“The number had been agreed on, the only issue left was
women’s health, Title X, that’s it. There was no other issue,” Reid said. “I
want an agreement but this has been a moving target. But now we have come to
realize the moving target is now focused [like] a bull’s-eye on women in
America.

“We are not bending on women’s health,” he said. 

Republicans on Friday have insisted there is no deal, and that
the size of the spending cuts is the sticking point.

Legislation approved by the House would eliminate funding
for all of Title X, which does not pay for abortions. Title X last year
received $317 million, with $75 million of those funds going to Planned
Parenthood affiliates.