House Republicans presenting new bill, set up showdown with Senate

NewsHour Political Editor Christina Bellantoni reports that chances of a government shutdown are increasing this weekend, with House Republican leaders setting up yet another face-off with the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Here’s the short version of what’s happening in a rare Saturday session for the House.

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, gathered with his Republican members at noon to present a new plan in response to the Senate-passed measure that funds the government through Nov. 15.

Boehner announced that House Republicans will hold a series of votes to amend the Senate bill. That means they are likely to pass a measure that funds the government through Dec. 15, delays the Affordable Care Act by one full year and provides money to continue paying troops in the case of a government shutdown.

Given the Senate and President Barack Obama have repeatedly said they won’t back anything that cuts the signature domestic law, this means in all likelihood this new House bill will have zero chance of survival when the Senate returns into session Monday at 2 p.m. And when the clock strikes midnight, the government runs out of money.

House leadership put out this statement from Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers:

The American people don’t want a government shut down and they don’t want ObamaCare. That’s why later today, the House will vote on two amendments to the Senate-passed continuing resolution that will keep the government open and stop as much of the president’s health care law as possible.

The first amendment delays the president’s health care law by one year. And the second permanently repeals ObamaCare’s medical device tax that is sending jobs overseas.

Both of these amendments will change the date of the Senate CR to December 15th. We will also vote on a measure that ensures our troops get paid, no matter what.

We will do our job and send this bill over, and then it’s up to the Senate to pass it and stop a government shutdown.