A swift Senate vote against House-passed Affordable Care Act provisions, a new House plan that will continue to press Republicans’ anti-Obamacare stance in response, and the seemingly uncompromising posture of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have Congress stuck as the federal government is less than eight hours from running out of funding and shutting down.
In a party-line, 54-46 vote shortly after the Senate convened at 2:00 p.m. Monday, the chamber ‘motioned to table’ — in effect, ‘kill’ — the House-passed amendments to a ‘clean’, Senate-passed funding bill that would have delayed Obamacare for a year and repealed the law’s tax on medical devices. Senate procedure dictated that the vote was subject to no debate or delay, enabling Reid to move the legislation with speed during the 2 o’clock hour. He made his strategy toward the House clear in a press availability held following the vote.
“You cannot let them slap you around,” he said. “We are not going to be bullied.”
No matter.
Reports surfaced around the same time Monday afternoon that the GOP leadership was prepping to move yet another funding bill with Obamacare-strings attached: a one-year delay of the individual mandate, and also a provision that would remove special health care subsidies for members of Congress, their staffs, and political appointees, similar to language advanced by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).
“We believe that everyone should be treated fairly, so we’re going to move in the next several hours to take the Senate bill, add to it a one-year delay of the individual mandate on the American people, and get rid of the exemption for members of Congress,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in confirmation during an afternoon news conference prior to 4:00 p.m. “It’s a matter of fairness for all Americans.”
While the fate of the strategy reportedly was uncertain as the day transitioned toward the evening, Boehner expressed optimism about the outcome.
“We’re confident that this issue will pass,” Boehner continued. “This is a matter of funding the government and providing fairness to the American people. Why wouldn’t members of Congress vote for it?”
Even if it does pass, Reid’s position has been stubbornly committed to two options: either the House can approve the Senate’s ‘clean’ continuing resolution (CR), or everyone can watch the clock strike midnight together without a solution.
“We are not going to do anything other than wait for them to pass our CR, because otherwise government is going to shut down.”
Update: 6:15 p.m.
Politico identifies three groups of House Republicans that could endanger passage of the latest iteration of the CR: conservatives who don’t believe the bill goes far enough, members who fear that the insurance subsidy provision is unfair to low-paid government staffers, and moderates who at this point, with the clock winding down, prefer getting a bill through without the Obamacare trappings.
Additionally, President Obama spoke from the White House briefing room Monday evening and echoed some of the Democratic hyperbole about Republican lawmakers this week.
“You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you’re supposed to be doing anyway,” Obama said.
Update: 6:32 p.m.
Eye-opening take from the Washington Examiner’s Byron York, who reports that the appetite within the House Republican Conference for a ‘clean’ CR to bring this fight to its end is strong … to quite strong:
Boehner tries to walk a delicate line within his conference. But the chances are good that in the end, the majority of Republicans — the 200, or at least 175 — will take control. If Boehner offers them a “clean” continuing resolution, they will vote for it.
[…]
When the time comes, lots of Democrats will vote for the resolution, too, which means the final spending measure, when it finally comes, will likely pass with a big majority.
But Republicans aren’t there yet. “This is a process that Boehner is going through to get to that point,” says the GOP strategist. The speaker has bent over backwards to give the most committed members of his party their say. After another defeat or two, and under the pressure of a shutdown, Boehner will finally turn to the 30 and say, “We tried it your way, over and over. Now, the majority will pass a resolution.”
Update: 8:45 pm
The House takes a second pass at a CR that delays Obamacare and approves the measure 228 – 201. The bill also eliminates health insurance subsidies for Congress and their staff as well as the White House. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Sens. Reid & Durbin immediately took the Senate floor to suggest that House Speaker Boehner allow a vote on a clean CR that does not touch Obamacare.
The Senate will undoubtedly strip the bill of language pertaining to Obamacare (again) and send it back to the House (again). This could be a long night.
Meanwhile . . .
If Harry Reid forces a govt shutdown, I intend to donate my salary to charity for each day of #HarryReidsShutdown http://t.co/t6OyWV5S5q
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 1, 2013
Update: 11:30 pm
The two chambers appear to be no closer to reaching an agreement than they were hours ago. After the Senate killed the Obamacare language in the previous bill and sent it back to the House, Republican leadership in the House requested to send representatives from the House and Senate to a conference to negotiate. Democrats in the House and Senate outright rejected the idea of a conference, calling again up House Republicans to pass a clean CR.
When asked by a reporter if her conference would be willing to accept any small change to Obamacare in order to keep the government running, Nancy Pelosi simply said, “No.”
Prepare for shutdown.
Midnight
The government is now shut down. Majority Leader Reid calls for the Senate to go into recess until 9:30 am after the Senators currently on the floor speak for five minutes each.
Francesca Chambers contributed to this report.
