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Senate Dems draw line on government funding

by Jordain Carney - 11/03/15 4:12 PM ET

Senate Democrats are warning Republicans to avoid “poison pills” in government funding legislation ahead of next month’s deadline to avoid a shutdown.

“Democrats on both sides of the Capitol, both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, are united on preventing poison-pill riders from riding along in an omnibus,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Tuesday.

{mosads}Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) added that Democrats had been in touch with the White House on Tuesday and that the president backed their strategy to avoid “poison pill” measures, such as defunding ObamaCare or removing federal funds for Planned Parenthood.

The comments come after House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) refused to rule out attaching policy riders to a government spending bill, potentially paving the way for a showdown with President Obama over funding legislation ahead of a mid-December deadline to fund the government.

He told reporters that “this is the legislative branch and the power of the purse rests within the legislative branch, and we fully expect that we’re going to exercise that power.”

Congress passed a two-year budget deal early Friday morning, but lawmakers still need to pass either 12 individual spending bills or one large omnibus measure.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that senators would negotiate the policy riders during the committee process, but “at the end of the day, there will be some riders.”

“Riders in appropriations bills are quite common,” he added. “The Democrats will have some, too. Of course there will be riders in the appropriations bills. I’m having a hard time remembering one that didn’t.”

But Reid suggested that Senate Democrats wouldn’t push for the policy additions. Asked what riders Democrats are considering, he told reporters that “we’re not looking for any riders.”

Despite Democrats’ critical comments, Reid sounded optimistic that lawmakers could avoid a showdown on government spending.

“[If] Republicans work with us to get an omnibus bill done, I think we can work out the poison riders that they’ve been talking about,” he added.

Tags Chuck Schumer Harry Reid Mitch McConnell Paul Ryan