This week we are ramping up for what is already becoming a rollercoaster of a week here in Washington DC. A showdown is underway as Republicans and Democrats debate on how to fund the government after September 30, 2013.
Here is what we know so far. On Friday, the Republican-led House passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until December 15, 2013 without increasing spending. However, the legislation includes language that would defund the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. The bill is now being considered in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has announced that he supports defunding ACA, but believes it is not enough block a temporary measure to fund the government. During the Senate Democratic Caucus meeting today, Senator McConnell’s counterpart, Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), made the decision to hear an amended Continuing Resolution that would remove the language defunding ACA and provide funding to keep the government open until November 15, 2013. There is currently 30 hours of debate and Senator Cruz from Texas has indicated he’ll talk until he can’t talk anymore supporting the House language. Majority Leader Reid has indicated he will have a procedural vote tomorrow to stop the debate and vote forward on the CR with the plan for the Senate to vote by the weekend and send it back to the House.
Assuming this measure passed the Senate, it would then be sent back to the House for consideration. As of today it is unclear how Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and the Republican leadership will react. The options are to agree to the Senate language removing the language to defund the ACA, sit on the language and shutdown the government and or the House could pass an amended version with additional poison-pill amendments and send it back to the Senate, thereby putting the pressure to avoid a shutdown on the upper chamber.
In the meantime the federal government is preparing for a shutdown. The Office of Management and Budget has requested to begin reviewing and identifying all “essential” and “non-essential” employees and create a contingency plan for shutdown. Those workers deemed “essential” will work and will be retroactively paid assuming that Congress is able to pass a bill and it is signed by the White House.
With so many uncertainties and or some might say, so many balls in the air, we will continue to keep you posted throughout the week as we learn more.