Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a bill this morning to defund Obamacare in a 230-to-189 vote, the New York Times reports. If no resolution happens, the government could shutdown Oct. 1–with potential for America’s first default on federal debt to follow shortly thereafter.
“Defunding is clearly happening today on a spending measure that defunds it in perpetuity. It’s going to pass the House, and I believe the Senate will put up a very strong fight there,” Rep. Tom Graves (R- Georgia) said to the New York Times. “And the American people will have a chance to influence their senators, and this is a great time for the American people to get engaged and let their voices be heard.”
However, it still seems unlikely that defunding will actually happen. President Obama is set to veto and Sen. John McCain said thinking Obamacare will be defunded is ‘not rational.’ Because of this probability, the bill as is probably won’t ever grace the Oval Office. The senate will probably omit the healthcare portions and resubmit.
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Republican leaders met behind closed doors to talk about a bill that would strongarm Democrats into raising the debt-ceiling, delaying Obamacare for another year, plus tack on a tax-code overhaul and a Keystone pipeline mandate, the New York Times reports.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D- California) said the intent of the bill is to bring government shutdown. “It could have no other intent,” she said.
From the article:
At that point, Speaker John A. Boehner would face a choice: put a spending bill on the floor, unencumbered by other policy measures, and allow it to pass primarily with Democratic votes, or attach some other Republican measure and send it back to the Senate with the clock ticking toward a shutdown.
Senior Republicans say Mr. Boehner will likely choose the latter course, possibly attaching a provision to delay tax penalties on uninsured Americans who decline to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
