House lawmakers have passed an amended spending resolution that would delay the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's implementation by one year and repeal the healthcare reform law's medical device tax.
President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have said they would not accept a spending resolution that alters the PPACA, according to a report from The Hill. If lawmakers don't pass a funding bill by midnight, the government will shut down.
House Republicans and Senate Democrats have fought for weeks over including PPACA funding in the spending legislation. Earlier this month, House lawmakers passed the original version of the spending resolution, which included a provision to defund the PPACA. However, the Senate stripped the provision from the bill, despite Republicans fighting to retain the language cutting off further spending on the healthcare reform law's implementation.
Now that the House has passed a new version altered once again to defund the reform law, the ball is in the Senate's court again. The Senate is scheduled to convene at 2 p.m. EDT.
More Articles on PPACA Opposition:
Senate Strips Spending Bill of Provision to Defund PPACA
Fitch: Political Bickering Over PPACA Only Hurts Healthcare Industry
Senate Votes to Advance Spending Bill With Provision to Defund PPACA