Nelson Expects No Crisis as New Fiscal Deadlines Loom
Friday, October 18, 2013
By: Amy Green

October 18, 2013 | WMFE - Sen. Bill Nelson doesn't expect another government shut-down or default as new fiscal deadlines approach in December and January. The Democrat is the only Floridian on a bipartisan Senate-House panel charged with crafting a budget blueprint by Dec. 13. That would give Congress time to act before Jan. 15 on funding to keep the government running.

Nelson blames conservative Republicans for this month's shut-down. He says the outcome has left them isolated.

"They may not have changed their ways. All of their other brethren and sistren in the House and the Senate have seen the hardship stories that happened, and I don't think you'll see any stomach for doing this all over again."

Nelson was in Orlando on Friday, meeting with congressional staffers who had been furloughed during the shut-down.

Nelson says the budget panel began meeting Thursday. He says he's reached out to Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican he's worked with in the past.

Nelson emphasized tax reform over deep spending cuts.

"So the idea is to simplify the tax code and get rid of a lot of the loopholes that certain individuals and businesses have because they had their special interests scratched."