Stopgap Passes House, But Senate Dems Block Path

Senate Democrats blocked the Republican stopgap measure to keep the government funded until late November, after the House narrowly passed the measure earlier in the day.

The Senate vote was 44 in favor and 48 against, short of the 60 votes required. Notably, Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) were the only Republicans to vote against the measure, while Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) voted for it. Several Republicans were absent from the vote. 

The short-term stopgap (aka mini can kick) was pitched by Republicans as a temporary solution to buy time while they sort out comprehensive spending legislation for the fiscal year which begins Oct. 1, a common strategy on both sides of the aisle. The measure includes security funding for lawmakers and federal officials following the assassination of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

The GOP measure would extend government funding at current levels through Nov. 21. It would provide $88 million in additional funds for the security of lawmakers, the executive branch and the judiciary, reflecting heightened anxiety about political violence following Kirk’s killing last week. It would allow the District of Columbia to spend its own taxpayer-provided funds after a March spending law blocked the city from spending about $1 billion of its own money.

If no deal is reached, funding would lapse after Sept. 30, prompting a partial government shutdown. -WSJ

Democrats, however, are demanding over $1 trillion in healthcare subsidies as the price of their support – including extending several ‘enhanced’ subsidies from the Affordable Care Act, along with the restoration of Medicaid funds.

“Republicans cannot expect that another take-it-or-leave-it extension of government funding that fails to address healthcare costs is going to cut it for the American people,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), adding “By trying to make this partisan, Donald Trump and Republicans are shutting the government down.”

Republicans hit back, effectively saying that Democrats must be smoking crack at that counteroffer – and pointing out that Democrats have long supported short continuing resolutions (CRs) while full-year spending bills are assembled.

“There’s a place for partisanship—it shouldn’t get so far that you’re shutting down the government,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK). 

Democrats had previously proposed an alternative CR that would fund the government through Oct. 31, and reverse hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid enacted under the GOP tax-and-spending legislation that’s been rebranded as the “working families tax cut.” 

The Democrat alternative would permanently extend some ACA subsidies that expire at the end of this year. 

While Leon’s getting larger, shutdown odds are once again spiking.