Delaware's senior senator expects a continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels will pass in Congress Wednesday.
The resolution keeps the government funded at current levels for the first part of the fiscal year. Carper told Delaware Public Media Tuesday that the situation isn't ideal, but he expects they'll pass the continuing resolution...
"And then go to work trying to figure out how do we come up with some extra revenues, how do we further restrain the growth of spending and continue to reduce our budget deficit," he says.
He says that'll involve a more difficult discussion over how to balance the federal budget while protecting a range of interests -- from defense spending, to welfare programs and beyond.
Carper is aiming to look at paring down entitlements spending without harming the poor and the elderly, and at reforming the tax code.
"And the third thing is to look at everything and say how do we get better results for less money," he says ."Nothing sacred -- how do we look at everything and say, if it isn't perfect, let's make it better."
He notes that one big reason for the budget delay -- what calls a "dust-up" over Planned Parenthood funding -- was "red meat to feed the folks of the far right" before moving onto "more serious decisions about spending and revenue."