McConnell: Schumer's instructions 'not helpful'

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer's (N.Y.) instructions for his colleagues to label GOP lawmakers as "extreme" is not helpful to budget negotiations, the Senate's top Republican said Tuesday.

"That's really not helpful, if we're trying to reach an agreement here," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told reporters at a press conference.

Earlier Tuesday, Schumer gave advice to a group of fellow Democrats before a conference call with reporters saying, "I always use the word extreme. ... That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week."

The remark was heard by reporters before the conference call officially began.

Lawmakers on both sides have ramped up the rhetoric against each other amid a stalemate over a proposal to fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year and avoid a government shutdown after short-term funding expires April 8.

Democrats and Republicans have accused each other of negotiating in bad faith and assigning blame on one another should the government shut down.