Several House measures to defund the healthcare reform law, attached to a spending resolution to keep the federal government running after March 4, could lead to a government shutdown as Democrats defend the law, according to a report by Politico.
The GOP-controlled House voted to add several measures to the House version of the continuing resolution. For starters, they would bar all payments to "any employee, officer, contractor or grantee of any department or agency" to implement the law and generally would bar any implementation funds for reform in the resolution.
In addition, the House added more measures to block salaries to enforce the law, block funding for the Internal Revenue Service to enforce the individual mandate, stop payments for federal work on health insurance exchanges, and cut off funds for a new rule about how much health insurers have to spend on patient care.
However, the House Rules Committee previously rejected a proposal, also to be tacked onto the continuing resolution, what would have withheld $105 billion in reform spending over 10 years. The committee determined the measure violated House rules against members "legislating" in appropriations bills.
While the House amendments most likely wouldn't get through the Democratic Senate, "they’ll be powerful bargaining chips when the House negotiates the final spending bill with the Senate," Politico said.
President Obama waded into the appropriations fight. "If the president is presented with a bill that undermines critical priorities or national security through funding levels or restrictions, contains earmarks or curtails the drivers of long-term economic growth and job creation while continuing to burden future generations with deficits, the president will veto the bill," the White House stated.
Read the Politico report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on efforts to defund the healthcare reform law:
- Attempt to Defund Reform Law Rejected by GOP-Run Committee
- Republicans Plan to Withhold Healthcare Reform Funding
- President, GOP Set to Battle Over Appropriations for Reform Law
The GOP-controlled House voted to add several measures to the House version of the continuing resolution. For starters, they would bar all payments to "any employee, officer, contractor or grantee of any department or agency" to implement the law and generally would bar any implementation funds for reform in the resolution.
In addition, the House added more measures to block salaries to enforce the law, block funding for the Internal Revenue Service to enforce the individual mandate, stop payments for federal work on health insurance exchanges, and cut off funds for a new rule about how much health insurers have to spend on patient care.
However, the House Rules Committee previously rejected a proposal, also to be tacked onto the continuing resolution, what would have withheld $105 billion in reform spending over 10 years. The committee determined the measure violated House rules against members "legislating" in appropriations bills.
While the House amendments most likely wouldn't get through the Democratic Senate, "they’ll be powerful bargaining chips when the House negotiates the final spending bill with the Senate," Politico said.
President Obama waded into the appropriations fight. "If the president is presented with a bill that undermines critical priorities or national security through funding levels or restrictions, contains earmarks or curtails the drivers of long-term economic growth and job creation while continuing to burden future generations with deficits, the president will veto the bill," the White House stated.
Read the Politico report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on efforts to defund the healthcare reform law:
- Attempt to Defund Reform Law Rejected by GOP-Run Committee
- Republicans Plan to Withhold Healthcare Reform Funding
- President, GOP Set to Battle Over Appropriations for Reform Law