Previously on The West Wing:
Mrs. Bartlet, may I say we miss you.
Don't be offended
if I say I don't miss you.
You can't believe the calls I'm getting
from DNC membership.
State party chairs.
No one wants you here.
-What if we don't get a budget deal?
-Another continuing resolution.
They want a 1 -percent cut on everything
but defense and Homeland Security.
I know we talked about a 1 -percent cut.
It's gonna have to be 3.
We had a deal at 1 percent.
There is no altering this offer,
Mr. President.
And I said no.
Let's be clear, sir.
You will be held responsible for
shutting down the federal government.
Then shut it down.
Mr. President.
Mr. Speaker.
Here they come.
Six minutes. The meeting lasted
six minutes. That's good, right?
Maybe not.
-What happened?
-There's no agreement.
-How far apart are we?
-They're leaving.
Without a continuing resolution?
Haffley said he needed
a 3-percent cut.
-We had a deal at 1 percent.
-He's bluffing.
We'll never know, because the
president ended the meeting. Will.
It's 8:30. We'll get a deal by midnight.
-I don't know.
-I'm gonna... .
Yeah.
-I hate November.
-No, no.
Christmas came early this year.
-Did you reach an agreement?
-What happened? Mr. Speaker?
-You wanna talk about what happened?
-You were there.
Make sure Nancy sees me in the morning
about the IMETs to Indonesia.
I don't want training east
of Kupang. Anything else?
We need a resolution by midnight
or 940,000 federal employees...
-...aren't showing up tomorrow.
-Give them your shirt...
-...they want your belt.
-We need them back.
Not tonight. Damn, I probably
missed the first half.
-Sorry?
-Providence is gonna get a whupping...
...from my Fighting Irish.
-Is he coming back?
-What do you need?
Toby and Josh are here.
-What the hell happened?
-Haffley asked for 3 percent.
Now what?
We shut it down.
I went to the White House
to pass a continuing resolution...
... while we work through our differences.
This president couldn 't find 3 percent...
...of a $ 1.2 trillion budget to cut to keep
the government open and working.
We need to stop....
Listen up.
-Hey.
-Hey, everybody, shut up!
Thank you. Effective immediately,
the U.S. government is shut down.
We have no operating budget...
...so all non-essential personnel,
anyone below special assistant...
...non-national security and public
safety, go home until further notice.
The president thanks you
for your hard work and service.
-Questions?
-Leo.
-How long do you think it'll last?
-Hours, probably. Maybe a day.
-Maybe a couple days?
-Maybe.
-Maybe a couple weeks?
-It'll last as long as it lasts.
Listen, guys.
I'm sorry.
-Are they coming back tonight?
-I sure as hell hope so.
Amtrak, courts, prisons, border patrol,
National Weather Service all open...
...and meat inspectors
will remain on the job.
Nothing jeopardizes
the American hamburger.
The EPA's suspending 60 percent
of factory inspections.
-Good news for polluters.
-Sell me.
We agreed to a 1 -percent cut
on a 30-day continuing resolution...
...but the speaker pulled
a bait and switch.
One percent, 2 percent.
What's unreasonable about 3 percent?
Three percent equals X dollars, which is
Y flu vaccinations, Z school lunches... .
It's more convincing
with numbers. Carol.
I'm gonna need a minute.
We sent Research home...
-...and we just sent me home too.
-I'll get you the numbers.
--thinks we can help the economy
through more spending.
He's on the lawn?
-He wrangled reporters.
-Is anyone left?
-A couple.
-Should I wait for Haffley?
-We gotta start reclaiming ground.
-Okay. I need numbers fast.
Maybe some garlic and a crucifix.
-What should I...?
-Go home.
Good evening, everybody.
Katie, get back here.
Let's start with good news.
National security and public safety
will not be affected.
This is so unfair.
We're already understaffed.
I've cancelled tomorrow's meetings
with SBA and the FCC.
-You're not a special assistant.
-Thanks for reminding me.
-How far out do you want me to--?
-Donna, listen carefully.
You have to go home.
Seriously?
So when Leo said
"below special assistant"--
He meant you.
--that the way to prosperity
is through innovation...
...allowing Americans
to create more jobs...
...rather than government
creating more bureaucracy.
That's what this Congress
is trying to fix. To stop the....
-Your phones are ringing.
-Yeah. Margaret went home.
What's the president doing?
Watching basketball.
Does he have a plan?
I think it was pretty spontaneous.
If it doesn't end now, it'll become a
referendum on the Bartlet presidency.
-You want me to talk to him?
-No. I've got it.
-George.
-Isn't this a bluff? There's gonna be...
-...a deal reached like every year, right?
-I can't speak for Congress...
...but the president won't cut essential
services, which their CR does.
Isn't it irresponsible of the president
to refuse to sign...
...disrupting lives and paychecks,
over 3 percent?
Three percent equals more than
a billion dollars in education funding...
...clean-energy research, highway safety.
I'll get you exact figures.
The speaker said this resolution was
the will of both the House and Senate.
It wasn't the will of 196
congressmen and the 44 senators...
...who voted against all 14
Appropriations Bills.
If these services are vital,
why isn't the president negotiating?
I'm taking stationery, a stapler, three
pens of various colors, the budget files--
-Why don't you take them on disk?
-I don't have a computer. Can I take one?
Not unless you want
three agents trailing you.
Do I get to pick which three?
-I can survive for a day.
-Is that all it's gonna last? A day?
Okay. Take my laptop.
Tally programs affected by the
shutdown, and e-mail me as you go.
Don't read anything in
the folder marked "private. "
Don't take my laptop.
You coming? w*r room.
-What's happening?
-You remember Atlantic City?
-We never went to Atlantic City.
-Remember when I went to Atlantic City...
...and I complained the pro poker players
suck the fun out of it?
-No cigars. No pizza or canned beer.
-You played one hand.
Those guys? They bet the bank
when they have a good hand.
And you either fold,
or you go in all the way with them.
I think the president's gonna stay in.
How good is Haffley?
He's better than anyone we've seen on
the other side of the table in a long time.
Believe me, this isn 't....
A shutdown?
They're not prepared for this.
-Are we?
-We didn't shut down the government.
Bartlet did. He's the one
who has to explain it.
Took me a while to figure
out how to unjam the copier.
If they come back with 2 percent,
we can pass a CR tonight.
Why would we? He thinks people
want his big government.
Let's show him how well Americans can
get by without the director of intrusion.
They'll call tonight.
They won't want it to drag on.
-You spoken to Russell?
-Not yet.
But they'll use him as a go-between.
If they blink first,
doesn't matter who calls.
Meanwhile, we've got congressmen
looking for toner...
...and I've got 35,000 federal employees
in my district out of work.
Get on the phone to your local media.
Make sure they know who threw us out.
Make sure those 35,000 people
know who sent them home.
Advisory board
still at 10 tomorrow?
Yeah. Treasury's worried
about the debt ceiling.
I left word with v*olence Prevention
and Business Roundtable...
...but what about the address to the
NAACP tomorrow? Should we cancel?
It's non-government. We need advance.
Don't cancel anything yet. Angela
thinks we'll get an agreement tonight.
What kind of agreement?
My guess is he would have settled
on 2 percent had the meeting continued.
-It's probably available.
-And tomorrow?
-Depends on the morning papers.
-We have to call Haffley out...
...for what he is really doing.
It's a coup.
He's trying to de-fund every initiative
we've passed in the last two years.
The president has a
full schedule tomorrow.
Go make sure everyone knows
he intends to keep it.
-Can we downplay this to the press?
-That's what Haffley wants.
Nine hundred and forty thousand
federal employees out of work.
But we say,
"No worries, doesn't matter. "
I may be having some kind of mental
logjam, but why did the president snap?
Angela had the thing wired, and Haffley
tried to roll us. It was a mugging.
Yeah, but it's also a negotiation.
You don't sh**t a duck for quacking.
Are you speaking
for the vice president?
-Quacking thing kind of gives it away?
-Help.
-Don't go out again until morning.
-The enemy's advancing.
Give me more than a squirt g*n
before the sun comes up.
We need coffee.
Anybody know where we can get it?
-The mess is closed.
-Starbucks closes at 7.
-Try Swing's at 17th and G.
-What else?
The British prime minister--
-Isn't visiting for days. One day at a time.
-It's a state dinner, 216 guests.
-Josh can handle it. What else?
-We can put together a strategy...
...but, Leo, there isn't anything else
until we sign a deal.
You have to talk the president
off the ledge.
If I go back and hammer out a deal
at 2 percent, he has to sign it.
--while Bronson gets his ankle
worked on during....
Come in.
They need him in the game.
They've been having some trouble
with that man-to-man.
Definitely go time for Notre Dame.
If he came alive, that would
turn things around for them.
-Good evening, sir.
-Hey. Grab a seat.
-What's the score?
-Doesn't matter.
The game is won or lost
in the last five minutes.
So the Irish are down.
The momentum
is definitely building for them.
Sir, I've got Angela
running the w*r room...
...but we don't have a lot of support
inside or outside the building.
Angela feels they'll close at 2 percent.
I took his vice president.
I dropped my stimulus package,
my college-tuition tax credit.
Now we're haggling not over
the budget, but how much to cut--
It's a bad deal. A bad week.
A bad year.
But our approval's in the 30s,
and we're out of allies on the Hill.
Let's get past this budget cycle.
Make a deal at 2 percent tonight...
...not let it become a noose
around our necks.
Then we can get back on message.
Be bold at the State of the Union.
Take back Congress--
They're not--
They've got a 7-foot center and the best
power forward in the game. Why zone?
It's not always enough to be right, sir.
It's not fair.
We drove all the way from Huntsville
to see Grandma and the Constitution.
But the Smithsonian 's closed.
Now we're only gonna see Grandma.
How'd the press react
to closing the briefing room?
It hasn't won me any friends.
This'll be won or lost
by how it plays on TV.
-They're blaming us.
-Any change in the overnights?
They're denying the needy,
and we're addicted to spending.
Both our negatives are up,
but ours more. See Newsweek?
-Beats the cover of TIME.
-The Post is reporting 193,000 veterans...
...can't get their home loans processed.
We can't do this over the holiday.
-We won't be.
-What's the plan?
Plan? Who said we had a plan?
-You got a minute, Leo?
-Of course, Mr. Vice President. Please.
I'll see you at the thing.
-How's the president doing?
-He's fighting a cold.
You think it's time for me to talk to a
few former colleagues in the House?
Not yet, sir. No.
-I served on Energy with Haffley.
-I appreciate that.
I sang in the congressional
quartet with the majority whip.
I've gotten drunk on
fact-finding trips with--
With all due respect,
we can't send mixed signals.
You saw their deal two days ago
and turned them down.
If you're waiting for Haffley to call,
you've misjudged him.
-You can't treat the speaker--
-The president will decide terms.
No. Like it or not, we have a Republican
Congress. They write the budget.
The president only gets to edit.
You wanna blame someone,
call James Madison.
Thanks for the history lesson, sir.
I'll be sure to pass it on
to the president.
You know what they call
a leader with no followers?
Just a guy taking a walk.
-You need any help with that?
-Excuse me?
Well, I compiled clippings
over at Energy.
No, thank you. I've got it.
Sorry. We should have
cleaned up the mu shu.
Oh, no, no. It's not a problem.
-So where are we?
-Did you see...
...the Post/ ABC poll this morning?
-Yeah.
-Excuse me.
Do any of you guys know
where the Dumpsters are?
-Yeah. It's okay. I'll find them.
-Who's that?
-A walking lawsuit.
-Where are we on the state dinner?
-It's on the schedule.
-We don't have food, chefs or help.
Josh is coordinating with the British.
-We've got a day before we decide.
-Any change?
-Not according to TIME.
-How'd it go with the minority leader?
Got the House Dems one more day,
but she's threatening to cut bait.
If we lose her, the Dems
will lobby the speaker instead of us.
Then Haffley is running
the government.
Okay. Today is the day.
Work the VP and the minority leader,
and contact Haffley.
Make sure we can still
get a deal at 3 percent.
-What happened to trying for 2 percent?
-Twelve hours passed. That's what.
Tell the speaker we're taking
their temperature...
-...but the president isn't involved.
-That has the rare quality of being true.
I want a continuing resolution
by the close of business.
-They blinked?
-Yep, vice president's...
...working with the minority leader.
We'll get a CR today.
-The president's not onboard yet.
-That's so Bartlet doesn't look weak.
-They're gonna swallow 3 percent?
-Right now, they'd swallow 5.
But we'll be magnanimous.
We're only 50 billion apart
on the final budget.
Why don't I call Russell, suggest we
skip the CR and cut a budget deal?
We get a better deal
on the budget with our CR.
They caved. We won.
How much more leverage do we need
before we start governing?
We are governing. We're slowing the rate
of spending, stopping this president...
...from driving the country deeper in
debt, leaving our children to pay.
We're doing what we told the voters
we would do if they elected us.
Cover of TIME, huh?
-No.
-It's a good deal, 3 percent on the CR.
And we live to fight another day.
-One percent, like we agreed.
-Sir, we're not gonna get 1 percent.
We need to get past this.
Focus on the future.
House Dems won't stick. They have to
head home for the holidays and defend...
-...why we shut down the federal govern--
-No.
Sir.
You're putting all our chips down
on a single hand we can't win.
We had a deal, Leo.
You need a new bulb?
Yeah. Sure. Thanks.
-Rena, right?
-Yeah. It's short for Marina.
-You Greek?
-No. I was born on a boat.
-How'd you get here?
-Bus.
No, I mean why weren't you laid off
like everybody else?
My program wasn't affected.
-I'll see what I can scrounge up.
-Okay.
-Josh Lyman's office.
-Where are you? It's really loud.
I went to that shutdown party.
So this list of shutdown
effects you faxed?
The one with elks over-populating is true.
They stopped issuing hunting licenses.
Why'd you put social security on?
It's an entitlement.
Yeah, but we sent home the people who
run the machines that cut the checks.
The checks won 't go out.
Unless we get the GAO to issue
a ruling to bring those guys back.
-What about the other thing?
-It's considered coercion...
-...if you work as a volunteer.
-It's not coercion to work on a cell...
...and run to Kinko 's every 10 minutes
to send faxes and e-mails?
AARP considers you essential.
When do I get my essential paycheck?
Rent's due end of the month.
I'll lend you money.
Wouldn't that just be emblematic of
these stopgap continuing resolutions?
Taking out a loan, begging for extensions,
rather than grappling the hard reality of--
Right. Get a cheaper apartment.
-I wanna come in and do my job.
-Tell me about it.
Stop being a baby and just go. Leo 's not
gonna send you an engraved invitation.
I don't need calligraphy.
He knows where my office is.
Well, yeah. Bye.
Social security's an entitlement.
That's what the people who get
their checks every month think.
That's one way to make the shutdown
real. Don't mail 11 million checks.
-It'd be catastrophic if we don't fix this.
-FDR will rise from the dead.
Millions of grandparents are gonna
march on Washington, burn us in effigy.
-Josh is on it.
-Thousands of grannies in walkers.
Tens of thousands
of veterans on oxygen...
-...singing "We Shall Overcome. "
-Josh is taking it.
-We still have their offer.
-Three percent.
-Will the president accept?
-He has to.
-Yeah, but will he?
-Desperate times call...
...for desperate measures.
I made a call.
To whom?
-Really?
-Yeah.
Who? Who'd he call?
What the hell have you been doing
down here while I've been gone?
A bit desperate, Jed.
Shutting down the government
just to get me back here.
Apparently, it worked.
Peanut butter and jelly. That's
what you're having for dinner?
The mess is closed. When this is gone...
...I'm gonna start in
on the grandkids' macaroni.
You sound stuffy.
Yeah, there's something going around.
They said your motorcade arrived
an hour ago. Where you been?
Downstairs. In your w*r room.
Which I noticed you were not in.
What happened? Lose your temper?
Haffley reneged on a deal.
So now you're just sitting up here
waiting for what exactly?
Your staff wants to bring you an offer.
Haffley came to us with a deal?
Damn it, I told Leo no! Did he
go ahead and contact the leadership?
Don't be so melodramatic. They don't
understand what you want them to do.
Do you know what you
want them to do?
You staying through the holidays?
Depends on how long it takes your damn
government to get back up and running.
Jed?
Where's Josh?
The president wants you
back in the w*r room.
We're supposed to get a $ 200
fuel subsidy from the government.
-I called. Nobody answered.
-I never thought this administration...
... would abandon us.
It's 10 degrees, we got three kids.
I'm off to the briefing.
Anything new?
Times/CBS has us down
another six points.
I don't think I'm gonna bring that up.
Josh still in with Leo and Angela?
Round 12. Or maybe it's 13.
I've lost count.
We've all been assuming the president's
not understanding what's going on.
He's been so out of it since Zoey,
you know...
...and we've all been protecting him.
You, me, Leo.
-What if it's something else?
-It's not.
But what if it is?
The Republicans have us,
and they know it.
He and Josh are the
only ones who don't.
Okay, it's something else. Like what?
Leadership.
The president said 3 percent
is unacceptable.
That was three days ago.
Three days, three years.
It's unacceptable!
-The speaker of the house--
-Was elected by 115,000 residents...
...of Spokane, Washington.
The president, by 51 million Americans.
One percent, 3 percent, 5 percent... .
The CR is nothing if we never get
around to passing a budget!
We can use Royce--
Royce isn't gonna take on Haffley.
Haffley's convinced they won.
-Only because we blinked.
-Of course we blinked.
We lost all meaningful
support in Congress.
And the public is blaming
this mess on us.
The president is gonna be here
any minute, Josh.
I need unanimity. This is
the come-to-Jesus meeting.
Who's coming to Jesus, Leo?
Me or you?
-Good morning, Mr. President.
-Good morning, sir.
-Three percent. Sixty days.
-Mr. President, it's a gift.
Toby.
People are frustrated with both parties.
It's a plague on both our houses.
We gave it three days to turn
in our favor, sir. It didn't.
Josh?
-What do you want, Mr. President?
-I wanna be able to govern.
Our bargaining position
is weakening every day.
There's a deal on the table.
Republican leadership are in their
conference room waiting for our reply.
Let's go up to the Hill and see them.
We can't go to the Hill.
We'll look even more desperate.
The country's waiting for someone
to step up. It should be us.
Sir, if we go to Haffley's office...
...it's gonna set a dangerous
precedent for future negotiations.
Let's go.
Mr. President, you have
a video conference...
...with Admiral Vadney
and PACOM at 5.
Then I suggest we get a move on.
-They're leaving.
-Go.
Is there any movement on the part
of the president toward a compromise?
I want to reiterate the talks are ongoing,
just not formal negotiations.
-So you're talking about talking.
-We're talking about negotiating.
Is the president canceling
the state dinner?
I hope not. I bought
a shiny new Donna Karan...
...and I'll be disappointed
if it stays in my closet.
-It's cold.
-Want me to comment on weather?
-I want you to open the press room.
-Where will the president...
-...and prime minister be dining?
-I don't know. IHOP? Thank you.
-Hey, where are you?
-I just finished the gaggle.
Go back. PO TUS is going to the Hill.
We're gonna pay
a surprise visit to Haffley.
-C.J., do you hear me?
-Okay. I got it.
If I have to hear Haffley go on
about Congressional powers...
-...and the role of--
-He's only been speaker a few months.
-He's in over his head.
-Everything he's done...
-...has taken us by surprise.
-Nothing we've done surprised him.
Stop the car, please.
Now what?
Kansas plates. That's a long way
to travel to find a "closed" sign.
Hello.
-Look, it's the president.
-Mr. President.
Hey.
They'll have a few things
to talk about when they get home.
-Yeah?
-You there yet?
-He stopped to address tourists.
-The president's talking to tourists?
The bus says Kansas.
Blue Jays, Jayhawks,
whatever the hell you call them.
You wait another 30 seconds, he'll
also be addressing NBC, ABC and CNN.
-Yeah?
-Thanks to you, they're gonna...
-...interrupt Days of Our Lives.
-Thanks.
How long a walk would you say
it is from here to Haffley's office?
Five or 10 minutes.
Secret Service is gonna love this.
During the campaign, I visited the
Westford Rehabilitation Center there.
It's closed today too
because of the shutdown.
If Congress has their way,
they'll lose 40 percent of their funding.
I'd rather it shut down
for a week than for good.
-Mr. President.
-Excuse me. Yeah.
The capitol's just a five- or
10-minute walk from here.
Care to stretch your legs?
I'm sorry, folks.
I've got a meeting on the Hill.
-You go get them, Mr. President.
-You bet.
-Randy.
-Sir.
-What do you say we walk the rest?
-Yes, sir.
Counter-as*ault team, deploy east.
I need two forward positions
along Pennsylvania.
-POTUS is on foot.
-What?
I should have worn different shoes.
The crowd has grown considerably since
the president stepped out of his car...
... to address a group of tourists
in front of the National Archives.
It appears the president
is walking to the capitol...
... to meet with Speaker of
the House, Jeffrey Haffley.
I have never witnessed any president...
... walking to the speaker's office
in my 25 years of Washington....
Hello. President Bartlet is here
to see Speaker Haffley.
We're wrapping up. Please bear
with us a minute. We'll be right there.
They're finishing something up.
Then we just have to wait.
It's a stunt. People will see through it.
Give them some credit.
The president has come to us.
We don't keep him waiting.
-He's desperate. He wants a deal.
-Let's see what he's got.
We exchange niceties, then he counters
our offer? We're missing something.
No, hold on-- Wait! Damn it!
We don't go out there
until we agree on a game plan.
Seven minutes. We have been waiting
seven minutes. This is a disaster.
No.
This is great.
Mr. President.
Let's go.
Right now.
All right, so we stick at 3 percent.
If he also wants to do the final budget...
...he finds the 50 billion
on his side of the aisle. Agreed?
Now, let's get the leader
of the free world.
--marched to the capitol while the
Republicans cowered.
Yeah, but why was he walking?
Because it was a stunt.
He was consoling some frustrated voters
who had hoped to see the grandeur...
...of their nation 's capital.
And let me tell you, they saw it.
It was a stunt. A beautiful,
symbolic, crowd-pleasing stunt...
...and I have to admit, the speaker
made a huge tactical error...
-...by refusing to meet the president.
-I'll call Russell.
This doesn't change anything.
We still get our budget.
Our cap-gains cut.
You better hope so.
C.J.
-Mrs. Bartlet.
-On your way to the morning briefing?
Can you tell them the
first lady's making chicken?
Ma'am?
"Tonight's state dinner will be...
...the British prime minister and
his wife joining us in the residence. "
Coronation chicken,
the queen's own recipe.
Thought someone in the pool might
want to watch me dress a nice bird.
Yes, ma'am. Mrs. Bartlet...
...it's good to have you back.
The Bartlets will also
serve their guests...
...a Colorado beet salad
and California green beans.
-C.J.
-Yeah, Mark.
The new poll shows
the president's popularity ticked up.
Do you attribute that
to his visit to the Hill?
I attribute it to the president's
desire to reach a settlement.
Is the president concerned this
will last through the holiday?
The president is more concerned
that special programs...
... will be shut down through
holidays to come.
Sorry. I was gonna try and clean up
a little before anyone got here.
Go ahead.
--when the Republicans agree that we
can 't lay off 20 percent of the EPA....
AmeriCorps. That's that program
where they pay you to volunteer, right?
Yeah.
That seems weird.
I mean, paying you to volunteer?
Isn't it just a job if you get paid?
It went over something like
50 million bucks, didn't it?
They got more volunteers
than they expected.
So you guys can just
write a bigger check?
I wish my bank would let me do that.
It's a successful program. That's what
happens when something succeeds.
Two-hundred-billion-dollar deficit. You
must have a lot of successful programs.
They should get combat pay. They go
into inner cities to teach children...
...work in soup kitchens,
try to get addicts off the streets.
You're Toby Ziegler, right?
It would be great if you could write me
a recommendation for my personnel file.
Royce isn't coming.
-Are you sure?
-He told the vice president...
...it'd be more productive if Haffley
met with the president one-on-one.
-What are they offering?
-Don't know.
But Haffley won't surrender
just because we walked to his office.
Leo, is the president up for this?
I don't know.
Excuse me, Mr. President.
Hello, Abbey.
Leo.
-The speaker's here.
-Okay.
Time for me to go get dressed for dinner.
They'll be coming in two hours.
-Jed, try not to be late.
-I won't.
-You sure you wanna do this one-on-one?
-I'll be fine.
-You can expect him to be very--
-I'll be fine.
Leo?
These last months. Thank you.
Thank you for everything.
I'll send him in, Mr. President.
Mr. Speaker. Please.
-Mr. Speaker.
-Mr. President.
Have a seat.
-How are you?
-I think I'm coming down with a cold.
Yeah, it's been going around.
We should get started.
Abbey's having the prime minister...
...and his wife over for dinner...
-...and I promised to be on time.
-Yes, I saw her cooking on CNN.
So...
...3 percent for 60 days
on a continuing resolution--
We're not doing another CR,
Mr. Speaker.
This room was designed
to throw people off balance.
Wyeth's intent was to inspire
the English notion of levee--
To remind guests that this is the office
of the president of the United States.
And the person
on this side is president.
Historically, the Commander in Chief's
purview is foreign policy while Congress...
...tended to their constituents.
That's why the Constitution...
-...put Congress in charge of the budget.
-And gave the president the veto.
Fortunately, your Congress
put together a budget.
I understand more than 2000
people worked with interest groups...
...unions, industry
and 535 elected officials...
...to arrive at that 15,000-page
document over there.
All 14 Appropriations Bills,
exactly as we left them four days ago.
Took us, what, 10 months to work
out our differences on those bills?
-We still haven't cut enough spending.
-I agree.
I want you to cut agriculture subsidies,
and you want me to cut Medicaid. Again.
You know I'll veto any Medicaid cuts...
...and I know you won't give me
any agriculture cuts.
So here we are.
Then we're back
to a continuing resolution, sir.
Which I can probably pass
with a 2-percent--
No. We were 100 billion apart,
and I met you halfway at 50 billion.
Then we were 50 billion apart,
and I suspect if I'd gone down to 25...
-...we'd be 12 billion apart.
-A billion here. A billion there.
We dole it out like candy to children.
Welfare paternalism, regulation,
taxes and quotas...
...are why people can't find jobs.
This government created the
greatest amount of wealth in history--
Which is a testament to the American
spirit. Not Washington bureaucrats.
Not everyone can pull themselves up
by their bootstraps, Mr. Speaker.
I couldn't agree more. The solution is for
government to get off of people's backs.
We could give every student in America
$ 10,000 a year.
Instead, we fund
the Department of Education--
You won't demonize millions of selfless
teachers and public servants who--
They're trapped in a failed system.
I can't stand by--
I won't negotiate with anyone
who holds a g*n to my head.
We had a deal! I don't care if my
approval ratings drop into single digits.
I'm the president of the United States,
and I'll leave the government shut down...
...until we reach
an equitable agreement!
-A hundred and ten minutes?
-Could mean anything.
It's a good thing.
-Hey.
-Don't call the feds.
I'm dropping off forms
for the Treasury employees.
-You saved social security.
-Nice catch.
Thanks. I just wish-- There's so much
going on. I wish I could help more.
You hear about the NBA rookie
who got his first rebound...
...the night Wilt Chamberlain had 55?
Said it was the proudest day of his life.
Together, he and Wilt went
for 34 points and 56 rebounds.
-I pulled a rebound?
-You pulled 11 million.
-I'm Wilt Chamberlain?
-No, you're the rookie.
It is worth noting
that Philadelphia lost that game.
Haffley just left.
What did we get?
Another continuing resolution?
No.
A budget.
-Their cap-gains tax cut?
-No.
What about our
college-tuition tax credit?
No, but it's a tax cut. Republicans
are always in favor of tax cuts...
...so if we can find a way to make it
revenue neutral next year, it stays.
The 50-billion gap?
We'd already done our part so
the speaker graciously agreed to do his.
Okay. Abbey says I've got about five
minutes before dinner. What's next?