Updated 4:18 p.m. | House GOP lawmakers rallied Saturday around a leadership plan to amend a stopgap spending bill with a one-year Obamacare delay and other provisions, even though such an action could lead to at least a short government shutdown next week. If the measure is amended by House later today, the Senate would have only two days to either approve it or amend it and send it back to the House before funding for the government runs out on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said his chamber will never agree to a continuing resolution that attempts to tear down or delay the 2010 health care law. The timing of House votes was still unclear, but a Rules Committee meeting to set up the terms for debate was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. With likely hours of debate, votes to amend the CR were not expected to occur until late evening. Republican members of the House were buoyant after a noon meeting with leadership, even as they admitted there was little to no discussion about what would happen if the Senate sent the bill back, nor what to do in the event of a shutdown. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona said everyone in the room was "pretty doggone happy." (more…)
