The Hill News

A House Democrat in the thick of high-stakes spending talks said the White House should increase its efforts to highlight the impact of GOP proposals to make steep cuts in a slew of domestic programs.

Democrats are attacking GOP efforts to sharply cut a suite of community service, health and education programs such as Head Start and job training.

“I wish they [the White House] would be a little more on target here,” said Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, in an interview to be televised Sunday.

Dicks spoke on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program as the White House and Congress race to craft a spending plan for the balance of the fiscal year to avoid a government shutdown after April 8, when the cur! rent stopgap bill expires.

Dicks noted that Libya has been a dominant issue for the administration of late, but nonetheless called for higher profile White House advocacy on the spending talks.

“I wish they could do more. I wish they would talk more about the pain that will be caused and, the most important thing, beyond that â€" and these programs are important â€" is that this won’t work economically,” he said, adding that cutting spending sharply now will not help the economic recovery.

Dicks said negotiators are closing in on an agreement to cut “in the range” of $33 billion from current spending levels, a comment consistent with what other Democrats have said about an emerging framework.

But a number of issues remain to be worked out on both where cuts will be made and which, if any, GOP policy riders to include. Democrats have ruled out including a number of high-profile riders such as de-funding Planned Parent! hood and blocking the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.

Dicks said that some less-controversial policy provisions could make it into the deal. Overall, he predicted a compromise would be reached but warned: “I don’t know if we can get it done by next Friday.”

“But I hope that there will be a demonstration between now and, say, Wednesday or Thursday that we have come together, that we have an overall number,” he said.

Dicks predicted that lawmakers would resist voting for another short-term spending bill to avoid a shutdown after Friday unless it’s clear a deal for the rest of the fiscal year â€" which ends Sept. 30 â€" is all-but-complete.

“It will be very difficult to get people to vote for another continuing resolution unless they are confident that an agreement is in place and we just need a couple of more days to finish it,” said Dicks, who hopes for “significant progress” in weekend negotiations.