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| Senate Democratic Leader Sets Stage for Budget Showdown | Senate Democratic Leader Sets Stage for Budget Showdown |
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| WASHINGTON — The Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid, delivered a broadside this week to advocates of the House plan to tie future government financing to the gutting of President Obama’s health care law, starting the clock on a showdown that could be decided on the eve of the potential government shutdown next Tuesday. | WASHINGTON — The Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid, delivered a broadside this week to advocates of the House plan to tie future government financing to the gutting of President Obama’s health care law, starting the clock on a showdown that could be decided on the eve of the potential government shutdown next Tuesday. |
| Facing opposition from the Senate’s most conservative hard-liners, Mr. Reid has set up a series of procedural tallies, starting on Wednesday, that should culminate on Sunday in votes to remove language from the House spending bill that would strip funding from the Affordable Care Act and then to pass a spending measure to keep the government operating through mid-December. It would be up to House Republican leaders to accept that Senate bill or precipitate a shutdown. | Facing opposition from the Senate’s most conservative hard-liners, Mr. Reid has set up a series of procedural tallies, starting on Wednesday, that should culminate on Sunday in votes to remove language from the House spending bill that would strip funding from the Affordable Care Act and then to pass a spending measure to keep the government operating through mid-December. It would be up to House Republican leaders to accept that Senate bill or precipitate a shutdown. |
| “We will not bow to Tea Party anarchists,” Mr. Reid said Monday, denouncing what he called “extremist Republicans” and “fanatics.” | “We will not bow to Tea Party anarchists,” Mr. Reid said Monday, denouncing what he called “extremist Republicans” and “fanatics.” |
| “The simple fact remains: Obamacare is the law of the land, and it will remain the law of the land as long as Barack Obama is president of the United States and as long as I am the Senate majority leader,” he said on the Senate floor. | “The simple fact remains: Obamacare is the law of the land, and it will remain the law of the land as long as Barack Obama is president of the United States and as long as I am the Senate majority leader,” he said on the Senate floor. |
| Signaling a serious split among Republicans, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, announced that he would not support efforts by the most conservative Senate Republicans to block consideration of the House bill in an effort to slow down the legislative process. | Signaling a serious split among Republicans, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, announced that he would not support efforts by the most conservative Senate Republicans to block consideration of the House bill in an effort to slow down the legislative process. |
| “Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans’ bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny,” said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Mr. McConnell. “He will also vote against any amendment that attempts to add Obamacare funding back into the House Republicans’ bill.” | “Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans’ bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny,” said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Mr. McConnell. “He will also vote against any amendment that attempts to add Obamacare funding back into the House Republicans’ bill.” |
| The House passed legislation on Friday that would keep the government open through Dec. 15, but only if the health care law were defunded. That sent the fight to the Senate, where the most ardent conservatives, led by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, began waging a procedural war to stretch out the debate. | The House passed legislation on Friday that would keep the government open through Dec. 15, but only if the health care law were defunded. That sent the fight to the Senate, where the most ardent conservatives, led by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, began waging a procedural war to stretch out the debate. |
| Even Senate Republicans say Democrats have the votes to eliminate policy measures they find objectionable and to pass a spending bill unencumbered with policy prescriptions. The procedural fight may actually be playing into the Democrats’ hands. By delaying a final Senate vote until Sunday, Mr. Cruz would leave the House almost no time to add conditions to a stopgap spending bill. The House speaker, John A. Boehner of Ohio, would face a stark choice: Accept the Senate measure or ensure a shutdown. | |
| A lunch meeting for Republican senators on Tuesday could decide whether Mr. Cruz keeps up his efforts or bows to a push for a quicker final vote. | A lunch meeting for Republican senators on Tuesday could decide whether Mr. Cruz keeps up his efforts or bows to a push for a quicker final vote. |
| “I think that most Republicans realize that this is a flight of foolishness,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York. “They’re trying to figure out how to wriggle themselves out now.” | “I think that most Republicans realize that this is a flight of foolishness,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York. “They’re trying to figure out how to wriggle themselves out now.” |
| Mr. Cruz was unapologetic on Monday, asking for an agreement to make any vote to strip the defunding bill subject to a 60-vote threshold, not the simple 51-vote majority usually needed. When that was denied by Mr. Reid, Mr. Cruz told senators that a vote even to take up the House bill, which he ardently supports, would be a vote to allow a majority vote to keep financing the health care law. | |
| In a speech from the Senate floor, he called this “a critical week for the United States Senate.” | In a speech from the Senate floor, he called this “a critical week for the United States Senate.” |
| “Obamacare isn’t working,” he said. “We’re going to step forward and recognize the reality that it’s the biggest job killer in the country, and we will not affirmatively fund it.” | “Obamacare isn’t working,” he said. “We’re going to step forward and recognize the reality that it’s the biggest job killer in the country, and we will not affirmatively fund it.” |
| If Mr. Cruz holds firm, the Senate on Wednesday morning will vote to cut off debate on a formal motion to take up the House bill. That is expected to get the 60 votes needed on such a procedural vote, especially now that it has Mr. McConnell’s endorsement. Mr. Reid will file an amendment that effectively strips out the health care language and other House policy measures on Thursday. | If Mr. Cruz holds firm, the Senate on Wednesday morning will vote to cut off debate on a formal motion to take up the House bill. That is expected to get the 60 votes needed on such a procedural vote, especially now that it has Mr. McConnell’s endorsement. Mr. Reid will file an amendment that effectively strips out the health care language and other House policy measures on Thursday. |
| After 30 hours of debate, that amendment and the spending bill would face its biggest test on Saturday: Will 60 senators vote to end debate and move to a final vote? If they do, only 51 votes will be needed on Sunday to send the House a clean bill that would keep the government open. | After 30 hours of debate, that amendment and the spending bill would face its biggest test on Saturday: Will 60 senators vote to end debate and move to a final vote? If they do, only 51 votes will be needed on Sunday to send the House a clean bill that would keep the government open. |