House Cloakroom
Analysis: Over the past several weeks, the House passed several bills to fund the entire government while defunding/delaying/undermining Obamacare and then nearly a dozen bills to fund various government agencies and functions like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the national parks. These solutions have been rejected by President Obama and the Senate each and every time. Things remain up in the air this week as the Senate continues to negotiate, but there is some evidence to suggest the House is once again beginning to focus on Obamacare, which is the reason the government remains shut down.
Major Floor Action:
- TBD – likely multiple bills to address government spending, the debt ceiling, and Obamacare.
Senate Cloakroom
Analysis: According to press reports, the deal making is focused on the Senate. Even so, President Obama and Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) refusal to acknowledge Obamacare is hurting the American people remains a sticking point. Over the weekend, a moderate Republican Senator complained, “I have bent over backwards to try to listen and accommodate and modify my plan” only to have it rejected. Action on a potential deal could come as early as Sunday evening, though some are now predicting it could linger into the middle of the week.
Major Floor Action:
- TBD – likely multiple bills to address government spending, the debt ceiling, and Obamacare.
