The West Wing s05e08 Episode Script
Shutdown
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? War 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 Violence 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 shoot 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 gun 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 war 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 war 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 war 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 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-assault 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 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 gun 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?
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? War 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 Violence 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 shoot 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 gun 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 war 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 war 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 war 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 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-assault 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 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 gun 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?