Reid refuses to consider piecemeal House funding measures

House Republicans latest attempt to fund parts of the government but not ObamaCare, is to pass small bills funding national parks, the National Guard, veterans programs, the National Institutes of Health, and the Washington, D.C., government. Reid has criticized this plan, saying it’s a transparent, piecemeal approach that won’t work.

{mosads}“Sen. [Ted] Cruz [R-Texas] is now joint Speaker,” Reid said. “The junior senator from Texas wants to fund everything else but ObamaCare. … The government is closed and it’s closed because they’ve helped close it.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other members of the Senate GOP leadership asked for unanimous consent to pass the House funding measures, but Senate Democratic leadership objected.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he’d offer Republicans “an even better deal,” by asking that they agree to the Senate-passed “clean” CR.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) accused Democrats of engaging in a “kabuki dance” because Senate Democrats won’t accept House Republican measures. 

“The House has offered numerous proposals only to be given the Heisman,” Cornyn said.

It’s unclear where the fight will go from here, with both sides digging in for the first government shutdown since 1996.