Members of the House of Representatives have gone too far, insist liberals in both Congress and the White House. The House's allegedly draconian spending cuts, approved last week, are so intolerable the Democrat-controlled Senate cannot approve them - and that would lead to a "government shutdown," say the liberals.
Indeed, if the Senate does not agree with the House spending plan by March 4, the government will not have the authority to spend money. Non-essential federal services could be suspended.
But look for a moment at what the House really did: Last week, a variety of spending cuts were approved. They total about $61 billion.
At first glance, that sounds like a lot of money. But compare it to the spending deficit expected for the current year - about $1.6 trillion. The House's proposed reductions are less than 4 percent of the deficit.
And the House has not addressed entitlements such as Social Security, only "discretionary spending."
In other words, the House has merely made a start at fiscal responsibility. Liberals don't want to allow even that. If there is a "government shutdown," responsibility will rest with them.