By JM Rieger and Steven T. Dennis and Emma Dumain and Tamar Hallerman

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the growing talk that the fight over Planned Parenthood might result in a government shutdown come Oct. 1 — nor, he said, would he allow a default on the debt. The Kentucky Republican, who has repeatedly vowed to oppose shutdowns on his watch, will need to corral a good number of his conference as well as the Democrats to get that done, but he didn’t seem that worried about it Thursday at a press conference marking the first half of the year with Republicans newly in charge of the Senate. Asked by CQ Roll Call if he had the votes today to pass a government funding bill without Planned Parenthood defunding language, McConnell laughed and said, “You all just keep trying, don’t you?” “Yeah, we’ll fund the government,” he said. “I can’t tell you what will finally end up in or out of a government funding bill, but I can tell you without fear of contradiction there will be no government shutdown.” Read more.