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| Senate Is Set to Vote on Budget Bill as House Weighs Options | Senate Is Set to Vote on Budget Bill as House Weighs Options |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — With the Senate poised to pass a bill on Friday to keep the government funded and leave President Obama’s health care overhaul intact, House Republicans scrambled to come up with a plan of their own that would satisfy angry conservatives and reach the president’s desk in time to prevent a government shutdown on Tuesday. | |
| Republican leaders were discussing a menu of options to attach to the Senate spending bill, including a one-year delay of the health care law, language exempting employers and health care providers from the health care law’s mandate to provide contraception coverage and a repeal of a tax on medical devices. | Republican leaders were discussing a menu of options to attach to the Senate spending bill, including a one-year delay of the health care law, language exempting employers and health care providers from the health care law’s mandate to provide contraception coverage and a repeal of a tax on medical devices. |
| The goal is to split Democrats and get legislation to the president. | The goal is to split Democrats and get legislation to the president. |
| Speaker John A. Boehner is facing a choice that grows more uncomfortable with each hour: The budget bill that comes out of the Senate could easily pass the House if the speaker chooses to put it on the floor because it would attract a large number of Democratic votes. | Speaker John A. Boehner is facing a choice that grows more uncomfortable with each hour: The budget bill that comes out of the Senate could easily pass the House if the speaker chooses to put it on the floor because it would attract a large number of Democratic votes. |
| But doing so would infuriate the conservatives who have often frustrated his efforts at compromise. | But doing so would infuriate the conservatives who have often frustrated his efforts at compromise. |
| “I think it would be devastating to the speaker’s support,” said Representative Richard Hudson, Republican of North Carolina, who is one of the members urging the Republican leadership to drive a hard bargain with the Senate. | “I think it would be devastating to the speaker’s support,” said Representative Richard Hudson, Republican of North Carolina, who is one of the members urging the Republican leadership to drive a hard bargain with the Senate. |
| “I think the question is do we go with the carrot or the stick strategy,” Mr. Hudson added. “Do we try to do something bad enough to force Harry Reid to negotiate with us, or do we do something that we think he can’t refuse?” he said referring to the Senate majority leader. | “I think the question is do we go with the carrot or the stick strategy,” Mr. Hudson added. “Do we try to do something bad enough to force Harry Reid to negotiate with us, or do we do something that we think he can’t refuse?” he said referring to the Senate majority leader. |
| Republicans were also considering a simple bill to keep the government open for as little as seven days while the legislative jousting continues. That was sternly opposed by senior Republicans, like Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. | Republicans were also considering a simple bill to keep the government open for as little as seven days while the legislative jousting continues. That was sternly opposed by senior Republicans, like Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. |
| “If you can’t get the House and Senate together by midnight Sept. 30, it becomes a more viable strategy,” said Representative Pat Tiberi, Republican of Ohio and a close ally of Mr. Boehner. | “If you can’t get the House and Senate together by midnight Sept. 30, it becomes a more viable strategy,” said Representative Pat Tiberi, Republican of Ohio and a close ally of Mr. Boehner. |
| Barring any unforeseen twists, which can never be ruled out on Capitol Hill, the Senate will proceed to a series of votes at 12:30 p.m. that will send a budget bill to the House that Republicans there have vowed to change because of their strong opposition to any measure that helps the administration put the health care law into effect. | Barring any unforeseen twists, which can never be ruled out on Capitol Hill, the Senate will proceed to a series of votes at 12:30 p.m. that will send a budget bill to the House that Republicans there have vowed to change because of their strong opposition to any measure that helps the administration put the health care law into effect. |
| That will set up a game of legislative Ping-Pong that will tip the government perilously close to shutting down on Tuesday. | That will set up a game of legislative Ping-Pong that will tip the government perilously close to shutting down on Tuesday. |
| Mr. Reid has said he would reject anything but a plain budget bill. | Mr. Reid has said he would reject anything but a plain budget bill. |
| Another idea under consideration, according to a Republican who had spoken to the leadership, would be to put an amendment in the Senate budget bill that would eliminate health insurance subsidies for members of Congress and many of their aides, who must purchase their insurance on the exchanges that are part of the new law. | Another idea under consideration, according to a Republican who had spoken to the leadership, would be to put an amendment in the Senate budget bill that would eliminate health insurance subsidies for members of Congress and many of their aides, who must purchase their insurance on the exchanges that are part of the new law. |
| “That is an arrow in the quiver,” the Republican said. | “That is an arrow in the quiver,” the Republican said. |
| That strategy, Republicans said, would put Senate Democrats in the uncomfortable position of either approving the amendment or rejecting it and risk appearing that they are willing to shut down the government over subsidies for themselves and their staffs. | That strategy, Republicans said, would put Senate Democrats in the uncomfortable position of either approving the amendment or rejecting it and risk appearing that they are willing to shut down the government over subsidies for themselves and their staffs. |
| But the Senate would not be able to act on any House bill until Monday, the day before the government is set to shut down if an agreement is not reached. | But the Senate would not be able to act on any House bill until Monday, the day before the government is set to shut down if an agreement is not reached. |
| Getting to that point could be bumpy, starting with the Senate debate on Friday. | Getting to that point could be bumpy, starting with the Senate debate on Friday. |
| Conservative Republicans like Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah caused a stir on the Senate floor on Thursday when they raised objections that forced a budget vote, which could have occurred that afternoon, to be pushed back until Friday. | Conservative Republicans like Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah caused a stir on the Senate floor on Thursday when they raised objections that forced a budget vote, which could have occurred that afternoon, to be pushed back until Friday. |
| Mr. Cruz’s 21-hour speech from Tuesday afternoon until noon Wednesday was a sensation in the conservative media and among Tea Party activists, even as some Republican colleagues accused him of putting his own ambitions and a desire for national attention above the party’s interests. | Mr. Cruz’s 21-hour speech from Tuesday afternoon until noon Wednesday was a sensation in the conservative media and among Tea Party activists, even as some Republican colleagues accused him of putting his own ambitions and a desire for national attention above the party’s interests. |
| He and his allies in the Senate, like Mr. Lee, have planned a sequel of sorts on Friday with a series of interviews on conservative radio shows and on Fox News. | He and his allies in the Senate, like Mr. Lee, have planned a sequel of sorts on Friday with a series of interviews on conservative radio shows and on Fox News. |
| On Sean Hannity’s Fox News program on Thursday night, Mr. Cruz encouraged viewers to go to a Web site that lists the telephone numbers of Republican senators who are opposed to his plan, and he encouraged them to keep fighting as Friday’s vote neared. He offered some dismissive words for his Republican colleagues. | On Sean Hannity’s Fox News program on Thursday night, Mr. Cruz encouraged viewers to go to a Web site that lists the telephone numbers of Republican senators who are opposed to his plan, and he encouraged them to keep fighting as Friday’s vote neared. He offered some dismissive words for his Republican colleagues. |
| “They’re beaten down, and they’re scared that if we stand together on this, and if a government shutdown results, that Republicans will be blamed and it’s too politically risky,” Mr. Cruz said, adding: “I hope they have second thoughts. I hope they listen to their constituents.” | “They’re beaten down, and they’re scared that if we stand together on this, and if a government shutdown results, that Republicans will be blamed and it’s too politically risky,” Mr. Cruz said, adding: “I hope they have second thoughts. I hope they listen to their constituents.” |
| The campaign has infuriated many of his fellow Republicans, who have done little to conceal their outrage. They have accused Mr. Cruz and his supporters of staging self-serving publicity stunts fueled by social media-savvy outside groups that have urged their followers to bombard the Senate with phone calls. | The campaign has infuriated many of his fellow Republicans, who have done little to conceal their outrage. They have accused Mr. Cruz and his supporters of staging self-serving publicity stunts fueled by social media-savvy outside groups that have urged their followers to bombard the Senate with phone calls. |
| Mr. Cruz and his allies “have sent e-mails around the world and turned this into a show,” Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, said on Friday. “And that is taking priority over getting legislation into the House.” | Mr. Cruz and his allies “have sent e-mails around the world and turned this into a show,” Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, said on Friday. “And that is taking priority over getting legislation into the House.” |