Senate

McConnell tees up vote on spending bill to avoid government shutdown

by Jordain Carney 09/24/15 06:40 PM ET

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has teed up a procedural vote for Monday on a funding bill, just days before the government could shut down.

The Republican leader filed cloture on a short-term government funding bill that includes money for Planned Parenthood. He said the Senate will take a procedural vote at 5:30 p.m on Monday, sparing lawmakers a rare weekend session.

{mosads}The move comes after nearly every Democrat, and eight Republicans, blocked the Senate earlier Thursday from moving forward with a bill that would fund the government through Dec. 11 but redirect federal funding for Planned Parenthood to other community health providers.

McConnell slammed Democrats for blocking the proposal, keeping it from getting the 60 votes needed to move forward, saying they are “making a losing bet they will come to regret over the long term.”

“Today, however, we must grapple with the challenges of the present,” he added. “The reality is that the government will shut down next week if Congress doesn’t act.”

The new short-term bill is widely expected to overcome Monday’s procedural hurdle and be sent to the House early next week.

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged his Republican colleagues to back the new legislation, saying that it would “ensure continued government operations while we debate and pass appropriations bills on the Senate floor.”

What House Republicans will do with the funding bill remains to be seen.

The House Republican conference is scheduled to meet Friday morning, with GOP leaders expected to present their plans for avoiding a shutdown.