Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) (Photo via Creative Commons).

As both Democrats and Republicans continue to insist they don't want a government shutdown, March 4 draws closer, at which point funding for the government would run out.

Congress is out of session until next Monday for winter recess, which has raised concerns--and tempers--about reaching a solution before key parts of the United States must stop operating. According to sources on both sides, behind-closed-doors talks have already begun in attempt to avert a crisis in the four days Congress has to pass a resolution.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) spoke on several political talk shows over the weekend about the issue, downplaying the possibility of a shutdown. Instead, Schumer put pressure on the Republicans to find a short-term solution.

"It makes sense for both sides to come to a quick agreement," Sen. Schumer said. "For a short period of time, the most logical thing to do is to stay at the $41 billion level."

Democrats have recently pushed for funding to continue at the current level, $41 billion below what President Obama proposed in his 2011 budget plan. Republicans, however, have said they wanted to cut deeper, including many first-year lawmakers who ran on a platform of commitment to cutting government spending.

As the clock ticks on the March 4 deadline, however, many in Washington have begun to compare 2010 to the 1995 government closure, which was widely regarded as a failure for Republicans and then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

"Clearly nobody wants [a shutdown]," a senior Republican aide told the Wall Street Journal anonymously. "It won't be good for anybody politically. The Democrats will not be blamed for a shutdown."

Such sentiment seems to carry through the entire Democratic party, as leaders have pledged a stop to any Republican attempt to cut spending any further. The Republican-controlled House passed $61 billion worth of cuts on Saturday, which the White House has vowed to veto.

"I think anyone who was here in 1995 knows the disastrous result that occurs when you throw down the gauntlet and say it has to be this way," Sen. Schumer said. "[Speaker of the House John] Boehner is a smart guy and a decent guy, but I think he's under huge pressure from people who don't have the same experience. Lots of the freshmen don't have the memory of what happened."

However, White House officials have begun looking into the impact of a shutdown, according to officials.

"As part of the executive branch charged with overseeing the management of the federal government, [the Office of Management and Budget] is prepared for any contingency as a matter of course," OMB Communications Director Kenneth Baer said.

Reach Executive Producer David McAlpine here.

Follow him on Twitter: @DavidMcAlpine

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