Lugar opposes House budget bill

A senior Senate Republican on Sunday rejected the spending bill approved by House Republicans on Saturday. 

Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said the size of the $61 billion in cuts proposed by the House is "reasonable," but he wouldn't support the bill as it stands. 

"I would not support the entirety of the House bill," Lugar said Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union." 

Lugar didn't specify his concerns with the proposal, clarifying that the $61 billion in spending cuts approved by House Republicans "seems like a reasonable figure."

"We are spending money that we do not have," he told Candy Crowley.

Still, Lugar's opposition to the current proposal is indication that it's not only Democrats who are eying changes to the proposal as it makes its way over to the upper chamber. 

Approved Saturday without Democratic support, the House proposal would cut $61 billion in spending through fiscal year 2011, which ends Sept. 30. The current law to fund the federal government expires March 4. 

Both the House and Senate are on recess through this week, leaving party leaders just four days to reach a deal when they return to Washington Feb. 28. The time constraints have left lawmakers considering a short-term spending bill to fill the funding void while party leaders finalize a long-term deal.

Lugar called on President Obama to call a meeting with leaders from both chambers in order "to indicate the gravity of the problem of the government shutting down," while also "producing a formula" forcing the Senate to move quickly on the issue when lawmakers return.

"The Senate usually doesn't act in four days of time on complex issues – absolutely no possibility," Lugar said. "This is the time for presidential leadership." 

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