The U.S. Senate rejected a House-passed federal funding bill, with just one week left before the current stopgap measure ends and the government would have to shut down, according to a report by AHA News Now.
The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 44-56 to reject the GOP-led House's bill, which would have funded federal programs through September. In addition to cutting $61.5 billion from current spending levels, the Republican measure would have barred funds for the healthcare reform law and withheld pay from federal officials when carrying out the law.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats' version of the funding bill, which would have cut $6.5 billion and let the reform law stand, also failed in the Senate by a 42-58 vote. The bills needed 60 votes to pass.
With the current stopgap funding measure due to expire on March 18, the House Appropriations Committee was preparing another short-term extension.
Read the AHA News Now report on federal funding.
Read more coverage of efforts to avert a federal government shutdown:
- Stopgap Funding Signed; Averts Federal Shutdown For Two Weeks
- House Measures to Defund Reform Could Cause Government Shutdown
- Attempt to Defund Reform Law Rejected by GOP-Run Committee
The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 44-56 to reject the GOP-led House's bill, which would have funded federal programs through September. In addition to cutting $61.5 billion from current spending levels, the Republican measure would have barred funds for the healthcare reform law and withheld pay from federal officials when carrying out the law.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats' version of the funding bill, which would have cut $6.5 billion and let the reform law stand, also failed in the Senate by a 42-58 vote. The bills needed 60 votes to pass.
With the current stopgap funding measure due to expire on March 18, the House Appropriations Committee was preparing another short-term extension.
Read the AHA News Now report on federal funding.
Read more coverage of efforts to avert a federal government shutdown:
- Stopgap Funding Signed; Averts Federal Shutdown For Two Weeks
- House Measures to Defund Reform Could Cause Government Shutdown
- Attempt to Defund Reform Law Rejected by GOP-Run Committee