Washington, D.C. – Jon Summers, spokesman for Nevada Senator Harry Reid, released the following statement today on the current status of negotiations to reach a bipartisan compromise that cuts spending, protects jobs and avoids a government shutdown:

“While Republicans ratchet up their rhetoric and once again threaten to shut down the government, Democrats remain focused on finding common ground and working out a bipartisan compromise that cuts government spending while protecting jobs. As Sen. Reid said, we are making progress as we work to cut more than $70 billion in government spending.  As we get closer to a final agreement, we are confident that in the end Republicans will reject cries from the Tea Party to shut down the government and work with us on a solution that makes smart cuts while protecting our economy’s recent gains.”