It May Be a ‘Budget Battle,’ but Some Skirmishes Have Little to Do With Money

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Published: April 7, 2011

The frenetic negotiations to avert a government shutdown seem largely focused not on dollars and cents, where the two sides are not all that far apart, but on policy issues, primarily abortion and environmental regulations, that defy easy compromise.

“We’ve been close on the cuts for days,â€