Government Shutdown 1 Day Away as Deal Evades Lawmakers

The Senate will reconvene tomorrow afternoon, when it will reject a House plan passed early today to delay and limit President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. In response, the House would add “another provision” to the spending measure and send it back to the Senate, said Representative Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican vote counter.

The provision would “reflect the House” and would be one “the Senate can accept,” McCarthy of California said on “Fox News Sunday” without offering details.

A likely option would end the government’s contribution to the health insurance of members of Congress and their staffs, as a way of testing Democrats’ willingness to make any changes to the health law, according to a leadership aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss party strategy.

House Republican leaders don’t expect to pass a bill that only extends federal spending, or have enough Republicans who support that, the aide said.

The House version of the spending measure would also delay the start of the health law, which is known as Obamacare. No talks were held today between House Republican and Senate Democratic leaders, even at the staff level, said a Senate Democratic aide who requested anonymity. A House Republican aide confirmed there weren’t talks between House leaders and White House officials.

Read More: www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-29/government-shutdown-1-day-away-as-deal-evades-lawmakers.html