Senate Leader Eyes Stopgap Funding Amendments in Floor Votes

The Senate debated House-passed H.J. Res. 59, the stopgap government funding measure that withdraws Affordable Care Act appropriations, on Sept. 27. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., intends to hold a series of votes at 12:30 on Sept. 27 to send an amended bill back to the House. Should lawmakers fail to pass funding legislation prior to the outset of Fiscal Year 2014 on Oct.1, government-wide agencies will face varying levels of shutdown (see 13092521).

“The Senate will never pass nor will President Obama sign a bill that guts the Affordable Care Act,” said Senator Harry Reid in a Sept. 26 statement. The House passed the bill on Sept. 20 (see 13092031). Lawmakers continue to dispute the drawbacks and merits of government shutdown, among other fiscal obstacles (see 13092501).