House Republicans Try to Avoid Government Shutdown Repeat
President Barack Obamas request for congressional authority to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels is complicating House Republicans efforts to quickly pass a government funding measure this week.
House Republican leaders are postponing tomorrows planned vote on federal spending legislation to consider the Syria matter, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced today on the House floor.
I think I speak for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle when I say that we stand ready to listen and work with the president on the Syria request, said McCarthy, a California Republican.
McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said administration officials plan private briefings for members of each chamber tomorrow.
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Lisa Monaco, the presidents homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, are pressing House lawmakers to include the train-and-equip language in the spending bill before Congress recesses for the midterm elections, an administration official with knowledge of the situation said.
The bill would fund the government through Dec. 11 and renew the Export-Import Banks charter through June 30. Government funding expires Sept. 30, as does the bank charter.
Representative John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican, said, We are going to be gaining seats in the House, were likely to take the Senate and with that we can do a whole lot more than we have been able to do in the past, be it Obamacare or anything else. Close
Representative John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican, said, We are going to be gaining... Read More
Close
Representative John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican, said, We are going to be gaining seats in the House, were likely to take the Senate and with that we can do a whole lot more than we have been able to do in the past, be it Obamacare or anything else.
Original post:
House Republicans Try to Avoid Government Shutdown Repeat