McConnell: Democrats’ spending amounts to ‘slap in the face’ of voters

“That new spending amounted to a slap in the face to voters,” added McConnell.

McConnell echoed the sentiments of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in insisting that the budgetary ball is now Senate Democrats’ court.

“It’s time for Democrats to present a serious plan of their own that addresses this crisis,” said McConnell. “It’s time for Democrats to take the concerns of the American people seriously.”

House Republicans passed a spending bill in late February that would slash $61 billion in the remaining months of fiscal year 2011.

The Democratic-controlled Senate, however, is unlikely to accept any sort of measure that includes such deep cuts. 

Senate Democrats have yet to present a plan, however, due to sharp divisions in their own caucus on how much should be cut from the budget, and how swiftly.

Reid said earlier in the week that as far as Democrats are concerned, “everything is on the table” for cuts.

After Friday, the government will be funded by a two-week budget extension bill signed by President Obama on Wednesday. The Congress must pass another bill to keep the government funded by March 18 to avoid a government shutdown. 

Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are set to sit down with Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials in the Capitol Thursday afternoon for a round of negotiations.