Budget impasse
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at the Capitol in Washington Tuesday, April 5, 2011. (Photos by Bloomberg)
By Michael A. Memoli, Washington Bureau
April 6, 2011, 8:36 a.m.
Reporting from Washington—
Lawmakers are not likely to meet again with President Obama on Wednesday before he leaves Washington as federal agencies gird for a shutdown that could begin Friday at midnight without a budget deal.

Despite multiple meetings on Tuesday, including one at the White House, congressional Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on the scope of a proposed $33-billion package of domestic program cuts for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also met one-on-one Tuesday afternoon, with each side releasing a terse statement indicating no deal was imminent.

On the Senate floor Wednesday morning, Reid said negotiations would continue "nonstop," but blamed the internal politics of the Republican conference for the continued deadlock.

"Our bottom line hasn't changed because our objective hasn't changed: We want to keep the country running and keep the momentum of an economic recovery that's creating jobs," Reid said. "I wish I could say the same about those on the other side of the negotiating table. The Republicans' bottom line has changed at almost every turn."

Freshmen Republicans in the House are pointing the finger back at Reid, and will protest outside his office Wednesday. A letter asks the Democratic leader to reconsider his "reckless, partisan strategy of shutting down the government," and says "the American people deserve responsive leadership from those who are elected to higher office."

Obama had invited lawmakers to return to the White House if they failed to reach a deal Tuesday. But he is scheduled to depart at just after noon Eastern time for a trip to Pennsylvania and New York, and won't return until after 8 pm.

Boehner attacked the White House on Wednesday for criticizing the proposed 2012 fiscal year budget offered by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

"If he wants to have an 'adult conversation' about solving our fiscal challenges, he needs to lead instead of sitting on the sidelines," Boehner said.

The Office of Management and Budget plans to brief reporters about the consequences of a temporary lapse in government operations. Boehner has also directed lawmakers to prepare lists of staff who would be furloughed in a shutdown.

Many now expect at least a brief shutdown, though the precise duration is unclear, as is the political fallout.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told reporters Wednesday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that he expected a furlough at least through the weekend.

"Americans don't like government but they don't want it to shut down," McCain said. "I'm still hopeful that at the last minute that they can come up with some agreement."

michael.memoli@latimes.com

Tribune staff writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.