House Republicans Push for Temporary Funding Bill Amid Health Care Dispute
As the threat of a government shutdown looms, House Republicans are set to vote on a stopgap funding measure designed to keep federal operations running until November 21. The legislation, which also includes increased security funding for government officials, faces significant opposition from Democrats, who are pushing to prioritize health care in the ongoing budget discussions. With a deadline of September 30, the path to passing the spending bill remains uncertain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence in the bill’s passage, stating, “We’re going to get this government funded. We’re going to keep the funding going and our appropriators will have more time to do their work.” However, the divide over health care subsidies presents a major hurdle, with Democrats arguing that failure to extend federal support could jeopardize coverage for millions of Americans.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been vocal in his opposition, declaring, “We will not support a partisan spending bill that Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people that continues to gut healthcare.” With the stakes high, Republican leaders are attempting to navigate internal disagreements, as they can afford to lose only two votes in the House to pass the measure. Reps. Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, Victoria Spartz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Tim Burchett have all expressed reservations or intent to vote against the bill.
Former President Donald Trump has weighed in, urging unity among Republicans through a post on Truth Social. “Congressional Republicans, including Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, are working on a short term ‘CLEAN’ extension of Government Funding to stop Cryin’ Chuck Schumer from shutting down the Government,” Trump wrote. “In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote ‘YES.'” Read more
On the Democratic side, the possibility of some centrist support remains, with Rep. Jared Golden previously backing a similar measure in March. Yet, Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, are not expected to provide the assistance needed to secure the 60 votes necessary to advance the bill in the Senate.
Schumer addressed the issue, saying, “Americans are tired of the failed, chaotic, high cost status quo, which decimates their health care, which raises their costs and which Republicans are defending in their bill.” Democrats have introduced their own proposal to maintain funding through October 31, aiming to reverse Medicaid changes and extend expiring health care subsidies. View the proposal
Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized the Democrats’ plan as “dirty,” accusing them of reversing their strategy after previously passing temporary measures when they held control. The contentious debate over health care has persisted, dividing Republicans who acknowledge the popularity of the Affordable Care Act despite past efforts to dismantle it.
In a bid to break the impasse, Senate leaders are preparing for votes on both the Republican and Democratic proposed spending bills. Schumer’s message on the Senate floor was clear: “Republicans choose: either listen to Donald Trump and shut the government down, or break this logjam by supporting our bill and keeping the government open.”
Speaker Johnson has not dismissed the possibility of addressing the Affordable Care Act subsidies separately, suggesting that the issue could be revisited in December.
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