Government Shutdown Looms As Senate Passes Funding Bill

With three days until the so-called government shutdown, the Senate passed a funding bill to keep the government running until November.

The bill was passed along party lines by a vote of 54 to 44 and will keep the government in business until November 15 with a $986 billion spending level.

The funding bill will go back to the House of Representatives, where legislators will have the option of passing it or making changes and sending it to the Senate once more, reports CBS News.

Negotiations about the funding bill have come down to the wire because conservatives are using the healthcare law as leverage to keep the government running. The Republican-controlled House passed a bill last week that included a provision to defund the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare.

However, the provision was removed when the bill went to the Democrat-controlled Senate. Reuters notes that House Republicans promised on Saturday that they won’t back down on their version of the spending bill.

A last-minute temporary solution is possible, including a 10-day extension of government spending that was considered on Friday. However, there is no sign Democrats and Republicans will reach a deal before the deadline of October 1. If that happens, the US government could shut down for the first time since 1996.

Rep. Tom Graces (R-GA) announce on Friday that he and 61 colleagues will insist on a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act, which is set to start on October 1. Rejection of the funding measure would leave the Senate with two days or less to come up with a solution to avoid the government shutdown.

If Congress doesn’t act before midnight on Monday, the government will lose its legal authority to spend money for routine activities. Spending for functions considered essential, such as national security and public safety, would continue. However, employees at national parks and museums would be furloughed.

It remains unclear whether the Senate and House will be able to avert the government shutdown.