This is it. Seems the first federal government shutdown in 17 years is all but inevitable come Monday night after House Republicans voted early Sunday in favor of a bill that funds the government until December, but includes an amendment that imposes a one-year delay on Obamacare and permanently repeals a tax on medical devices. In the end, the House voted to send the bill to the Democratic-run Senate on a 231-192 vote with two Democrats voting for the measure, and two Republicans against, reports the Associated Press.*
As the Hill notes, “The high-stakes GOP move intensifies a game of chicken with Senate Democrats with just 48 hours to go before the lights could go out on the federal government.”
The bill doesn’t really stand much of a chance of going anywhere. Senate Democrats—and the president—have made it clear they will not accept these types of conditions. “Senate Democrats are planning to table the Republican measures when they convene on Monday afternoon, leaving the House just hours before a shutdown to pass a stand-alone spending bill free of any measures that undermine the health care law,” notes the New York Times.
Despite these warnings, Republicans went forward with their plans announced Saturday afternoon, and displayed a startling level of unity for a party that had recently shown divisions between the leadership and Tea Party conservatives, reports Politico. While they pushed a measure that virtually assures a shutdown they also approved a bill that would pay U.S. troops if there’s a shutdown.
*Update
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Republican bill will be rejected.
"To be absolutely clear, the Senate will reject both the one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act and the repeal of the medical device tax," Reid said.
