WASHINGTON — With just hours to go, the latest Republican idea to surface to keep the government from shutting down involves passing a continuing resolution that keeps funding the federal government for another week in order to buy more time to strike a deal with Democrats.
The plan — which has been floated in the press by Senate Republicans, according to multiple outlets including The Washington Post and National Review — would give lawmakers more time to negotiate.
Under current law, the government is funded until Monday, meaning a continuing resolution needs to be passed to keep the government from shutting down
The Republican-controlled House has passed several versions of a continuing resolution, including provisions defunding or delaying Obamacare. The Democrat-controlled Senate has rejected both proposals, passing instead a clean continuing resolution that funds the government for the rest of the year without any language impacting President Barack Obama’s unpopular health-care law.
McConnell spokesman Don Stewart declined to address what options lawmakers are now considering, except to tell The Daily Caller, “Despite the Democrats’ refusal to work with the House to solve the problem, Republicans are working to protect the troops, prevent a shutdown and find solutions to the difficulties caused by Senate Democrats’ delays.”