House Republicans are proposing a short-term plan to avoid a government shutdown, but Senate Democrats view the spending bill as a non-starter.  Under the plan by House Speaker John Boehner, the GOP-led House would take up a proposal to fund the government for two weeks past a March 4 deadline.  The GOP plan, though, would include about $4 billion in spending cuts -- which would keep the government on pace to meet the $61 billion in spending cuts the House passed last week for the rest of fiscal year 2011. The measure that current funds the government runs out next Friday, March 4.  "The Republicans' so-called compromise is nothing more than the same extreme package the House already handed the Senate, just with a different bow," said Jon Summers, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.  Boehner insists "Americans understand we need to stop the spending binge in Washington to create a better environment for job creation," he said.  A Gallup Poll shows Americans by 2-to-1 want President Obama and Congress to reach a compromise over spending levels, and they don't want a shutdown.  The impact is unmistakable. During the government shutdown in 1995-1996, hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed. U.S. passport applications weren't processed, and national parks and museums closed.  Tell us how you might be affected by a potential government shutdown in the comments area below. What steps, if any, have you taken to deal with a shutdown?  See photos of: Harry Reid  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
House GOP floats plan to avert government shutdown - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2012 Election - USATODAY.com