The Hill News

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) warned Friday that Republican ultimatums on spending cuts have heightened the risk of a government shutdown.

"We don't want to do that; we hope our Republican colleagues don't want to do that," Hoyer told reporters. "But if the posture that they take is, 'Our way or no way,' then it is possible that will happen.

{mosads}"It will not happen," he added, "if we work together."

Hoyer said he's been in "significant" talks in recent weeks with a host of GOP leaders, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (Mich.) and GOP Caucus Chairman Jeb Hensarling (Texas).

"I've told all of them we want to work together," Hoyer said. "I'm hopeful that we can do that."

But he also was quick to note that a similar budget standoff in 1995 â€" which led to a series of government shutdowns â€" haunted the GOP-led Congress fo! r years.

"Our Republican colleagues thought it would be politically advantageous," Hoyer said. "Hopefully they do not repeat that mistake again."

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) delivered a similar message, urging lawmakers of both parties to prepare to compromise for the sake of keeping the government running.  

"We all have a responsibility to make sure that there is no government shutdown," Pelosi said. "The last thing the American people need is for congressional Republicans â€" or Democrats â€" to draw a line in the sand that hinders keeping the government open."

With the law funding the federal government slated to expire March 4, House lawmakers have spent the week debating a GOP proposal to fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year. The GOP bill would cut federal funding by $61 billion through fiscal year 2011 â€" cuts strongly opposed by Democrats, who say they'll exacerbate the jobs crisis. Pr! esident Obama has threatened to veto the bill.

The ! stand-of f has left lawmakers eyeing different options to prevent a shutdown, including short-term extension at current funding levels.

That plan hit a wall Thursday, however, when Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that Republicans won't accept an extension of government spending at current levels. Instead, he's insisting that unspecified cuts accompany even a short-term extension.

“I am not going to move any kind of short-term [funding bill] at current levels,” the Speaker told reporters at his weekly press conference. “When we say we’re going to cut spending, read my lips, we’re going to cut spending.”