WASHINGTON – A major obstacle to passing a short-term spending bill by the end of the week was eliminated Wednesday when two key Republican senators asked GOP leaders not to consider health-care legislation as part of the legislation.
Senate Republican leaders had considered attaching the health-care proposal to the short-term spending bill to keep the government running through mid-January. But that approach ran into resistance from hardline conservatives in the House, who balked at approving what they consider a giveaway to insurance companies.
"Rather than considering a broad year-end funding agreement as we expected, it has become clear that Congress will only be able to pass another short-term extension to prevent a government shutdown and to continue a few essential programs," Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine said in a joint statement.
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