House Approves Continuing Resolution That Would Defund ACA
On Friday, the House voted 230-189 to approve a continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Dec. 15 and defund the Affordable Care Act, Politico reports (Bresnahan/Sherman, Politico, 9/20).
Background
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) unveiled the proposal earlier last week during a closed door meeting of the House GOP caucus.
The new strategy comes after a split among conservative GOP members and House leaders on how best to approach dismantling the ACA. House GOP leaders had favored a short-term spending resolution -- by Cantor -- that would force the Senate to vote on a bill defunding the ACA, while limiting the threat of a government shutdown.
However, conservative Republicans rejected that proposal for not taking a strong enough stance against the ACA, and some coalesced around an alternative measure -- by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) -- that would delay and defund the ACA's implementation for one year.
Details of CR
In addition to defunding the ACA, the new strategy would continue funding the government through Dec. 15 at current levels -- $988 billion.
In the House Rules Committee on Wednesday, Republican Study Committee Chair Steve Scalise (La.) is expected to offer an amendment to Cantor's original legislation that would add the defunding language.
Specifically, the amendment would create a rule that states once it is approved on the House floor, the text from Graves' bill -- which would fully defund the ACA in 2014 -- would be considered as part of the CR. In addition, the rule would "self-execute" the inclusion of language from a bill (HR 807) that would authorize the Treasury Department to pay down all interest on the national debt in the event of a government shutdown.
Scalise said that the proposal "reflects the principles we've pushing for. We want to address Obamacare in the CR. We also want to address the debt ceiling. This keeps both of those moving" (California Healthline, 9/19).
Senate Democrats Oppose CR
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday said his chamber would remove any language that defunds the health reform law, Politico reports.
During a press conference, Reid said, "In case there is any shred of doubt in the minds of our House counterparts, I want to be absolutely crystal clear. Any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. Dead."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Reid's message. He said, "We will not blink. Don't get it into your heads that we will. ... We won't. We're unified. We're together. You're not" (Kim, Politico, 9/19).
- See more at: http://www.americanhealthline.com/Todays-News/2013/09/20/House-To-Vote-on-CR-That-Would-Defund-ACA#sthash.2Ssrdg00.dpuf
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday said his chamber would remove any language that defunds the health reform law, Politico reports.
During a press conference, Reid said, "In case there is any shred of doubt in the minds of our House counterparts, I want to be absolutely crystal clear. Any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. Dead."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Reid's message. He said, "We will not blink. Don't get it into your heads that we will. ... We won't. We're unified. We're together. You're not" (Kim, Politico, 9/19).
- See more at: http://www.americanhealthline.com/Todays-News/2013/09/20/House-To-Vote-on-CR-That-Would-Defund-ACA#sthash.2Ssrdg00.dpuf
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday said his chamber would remove any language that defunds the health reform law, Politico reports.
During a press conference, Reid said, "In case there is any shred of doubt in the minds of our House counterparts, I want to be absolutely crystal clear. Any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. Dead."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Reid's message. He said, "We will not blink. Don't get it into your heads that we will. ... We won't. We're unified. We're together. You're not" (Kim, Politico, 9/19).
- See more at: http://www.americanhealthline.com/Todays-News/2013/09/20/House-To-Vote-on-CR-That-Would-Defund-ACA#sthash.2Ssrdg00.dpuf
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday said his chamber would remove any language that defunds the health reform law, Politico reports.
During a press conference, Reid said, "In case there is any shred of doubt in the minds of our House counterparts, I want to be absolutely crystal clear. Any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. Dead."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Reid's message. He said, "We will not blink. Don't get it into your heads that we will. ... We won't. We're unified. We're together. You're not" (Kim, Politico, 9/19).
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