http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/2015-gop-budget-back-up-plan-113498.html#ixzz3LbZhLs4LGOP makes one-week funding backup plan
By Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan
12/11/14 10:47 AM EST
Updated 12/11/14 11:11 AM EST
The government funding debate might last until next week.
House Republicans are warning Democrats that if they cannot pass the long-term government funding bill Thursday, they will pass a one-week stopgap bill and come back next week to pass a three-month funding bill. The warning from GOP leadership has been delivered to congressional Democrats.
Republicans still want to pass a deal today.
“We expect the bill to pass with bipartisan support today, but if it does not, we will pass a short-term CR to avoid a government shutdown,” said Michael Steel, spokesman for John Boehner. “The length and other details of that bill have not been determined.”
Some in Democratic leadership - including leader Nancy Pelosi of California - have privately mused that a three-month bill might be better for her party.
But that’s not a uniform position - others support the long-term, nine-month omnibus. Pelosi wants democrats to “keep their powder dry” to maintain leverage. Pelosi and other Democrats are opposed to the loosening of Wall Street and campaign finance regulations - both are tucked in the funding bill. In a boisterous whip meeting Thursday, dozens of house democrats spoke out in opposition to the bill.
The reason for the sudden uptick in fallback planning is due to the close nature of the vote count. Republicans estimate between 150 and 175 of their members will vote for the package, but the Democratic vote is uncertain. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has been in close contact with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
A three-month continuing resolution would set up a funding showdown early in 2015, and would wipe out hard-fought Democratic and Republican funding priorities.
There’s also some concern in pockets of GOP leadership that a procedural vote could fail, which would throw the entire day into flux. The so-called rule vote will be on the floor Thursday morning. All Democrats will vote against the rule, sources said, which will require Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) to find 218 GOP votes to pass the procedural motion.
