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Lawmakers could strike a potential short-term deal to avoid a looming government shut down, a stop began measure would hold off the prizes -- stopgap measure would hold off the cites for two weeks and joining us now are elliot engel of new york and republican congresswoman marcia blackburn of tennessee, thanks for joining us. >> good to be with you. >> heather: the first question, goes to both of you. there you are. i will -- toss is first to representative black begburlack the measure make a difference and can an agreement be met or will we extend another two weeks, two weeks from now? >> hea...

What are the political stakes of a government shutdown like in '95? gentlemen, you know the score here. and here we go again, howard. last time we had one where the government shut down because they couldn't agree on the spending level. the president wouldn't sign what they sent them. veto, veto, veto. nothing gets done. it looks to me like they're both ready for this fight. the president and john boehner. is that right? >> yeah, i think so. i think the president on tuesday through the office of management and budget basically said if you send me a bill that's anything like they're talking abo...

It was disappointing to me. jenna: senator, it's interesting that you say that about discretionary spending and entitlements because many blame politicians for not wanting to touch entitlements because it's not politically beneficial for you to deal with them. and instead discretionary spending is an easier thing to deal with, it's easier for the public to swallow. you're saying it's not the case, discretionary spending is where we need our efforts now? >> we have surged discretionary spending in the last several years. we need to take that spending level back to 2008 levels. the city said he ...

Are members of the tea party movement, not necessarily directly connected to you, however, out of washington. this is an article they put out yesterday, this is the suggestion, end farm subsidy, $290 billion. scrap that. that's hud, 550. there's the farm subsidy. cut nasa spending 50 percent. that's # on billion dollars. and urban mass transit grants, 52 billion. privatize air traffic control, 38 billion. a quick glancing blow here, sal. what do you think of that? >> i thought they had very good ideas. i think they were -- i think the point they were trying to make, not exactly that these were...

A good thing those first responders were on the scene in tucson. >> you know -- well, absolutely. but when i saw that poll, i thought it sounds an awful lot like washington, frankly. yes, we all know we have to cut, but when asked, what we should cut, it gets tougher. let me play for you what john boehner told brian williams. >> name a program right now that we could do without. >> i don't think i have one off the top of my head. >> so, doug, what does john boehner, the republicans, have to do at what point do they have to start saying we've got to tighten our belt and at what point actually d...