Senate rejects House CR, teeing up shutdown battle

The Senate has voted 48-44 to reject the stopgap continuing resolution passed by the House earlier today that would fund the federal government through Nov. 21, setting the stage for a possible government shutdown at the end of the month.

The chamber also voted 47-45 to reject a Democrat-authored CR that would have kept the government open through Oct. 31 and included health care credits.

The House passed its CR mostly along party lines, with only one Democrat supporting it.

Prior to the Senate’s vote, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME) said the House’s CR should have bipartisan support.

“Pass this clean CR, which has no poison pills, so that we can prevent disruptions to vital programs on which the American people rely while Congress completes its work on the annual funding bills,” she said. “It should be that simple.”

It is not that simple for Democrats, however, who want Republicans to return to the negotiating table over health care.

“Instead of so much as talking to Democrats about how to stop millions of Americans from losing their health care or seeing their premiums double or worse, Republican leadership has decided to follow Trump’s orders, blow off Democrats, and risk a Republican shutdown,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate.

Congress will be on a break until Sept. 29 when returning lawmakers will be faced with a potential government shutdown on Oct. 1 if a CR is not passed.