House Republicans passed their stopgap funding bill Friday to keep government open while terminating the new health care law, setting up a final showdown next week with Senate Democrats and President Obama who have firmly rejected that.

The 230-189 vote, which split almost exclusively along party lines, is the precursor to the big action next week, when the Senate is expected to strip out the health care provisions and send the bill back to the House — where Republicans will have to decide whether they can accept it at that point.

All sides are racing a Sept. 30 deadline, which is when current government funding runs out. The new measure would fund the government through Dec. 15, essentially at last year’s levels, and would leave the budget sequesters in place.

But Republicans also attached two amendments — one to direct how government spending is prioritized in the event the Treasury Department bumps up against its debt limit, and another that strips out funding for the health care law, which would effectively stop it.

“The evidence is very clear that Obamacare is actively hurting,” said Rep. Lee Terry, Nebraska Republican. Democrats said the bill was an outrage that exposed Republicans’ true intention of trying to force a government shutdown.

“It is a wolf in wolf’s clothing,” said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. “Either you don’t know what you’re doing or this is one of the most intentional acts of brutality you’ve cooked up.”

Rep. Nita Lowey, the top Democrat on the House spending committee, said limiting government funding now would prevent federal authorities from being able to help out as Colorado recovers from devastating floods.

They urged the GOP to negotiate with Democrats to raise taxes in order to spend more.

Republicans countered that if they’d wanted to shut down government they wouldn’t have brought any bill to the floor. “We are pragmatists. We know we have to pass bills to fund government. Thus this bill,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers. source washington times

The Tea Party rule.

That's a overstatement, and I joking.

I broke my toe last year, the emergency room cost over $3000, took 4 hours, and all i got was a piece of tape. But it's cheaper than $1200 a year for insurance i'll never use. I don't want to buy health insurance. I want care to become affordable like it was before insurance took over the industry. I want health insurance to go extinct. In the 1950's a doctor's visit was only a few dollars.


My President is going to force me to buy it.. never.

Meanwhile in Canada...

I would love an english or canadian system if I can't get my american 1950's system.

"They urged the GOP to negotiate with Democrats to raise taxes in order to spend more."

unfortunately thats what always happens.

Our canadian system isnt that great. this pay parking at hospitals is bull crap, when I messed up my hand last year i had to pay like 8 bucks!

Try a 20k hospital bill for just spending the night in a hospital after surgery (surgery and other cost not included).

I was being a tad sarcastic..  I love having our health care system,  it does have some real flaws.. but when my x had my youngest there were complications,   3 weeks in there.  I wouldnt want to know how much that would be 30 minutes south of here.

The millions and millions of uninsured Americans would rather have SOME kind of health coverage, than the nothing they have right now. Trust me on that.