Vitter urges adoption of one-week House GOP budget patch

The lower chamber is scheduled to vote on the legislation Thursday afternoon. Besides funding the government an additional week, it would cut $12 billion in spending and fund the Pentagon for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.

“I urge my colleagues to do the reasonable, sensible thing and adopt what the House is about to adopt to keep the government running for another week while we work to come to another solution,” said Vitter.

The spending measure currently funding the government is set to expire at midnight Friday.

President Obama has threaten to veto the House GOP measure, which also includes language that would prohibit the District of Columbia from using local government funds for abortion services. It is opposed by Senate Democrats and is not expected to reach Obama’s desk.

Vitter also said the Senate should have focused on budget matters, rather than the Small Business Administration (SBA) funding bill, which is currently pending before the body.

“Why haven’t we been focuses on the crucial spending and debt challenge?” he asked.

Vitter wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) nearly three weeks ago threatening to filibuster any legislation that did involve the budget. Vitter’s objections were overruled by a roll call vote when the SBA funding bill was brought to the floor for deliberation. 

The Senate floor has remained dormant for most of Thursday morning and early afternoon as leadership works behind the scenes to find a compromise on funding the government for the remaining six-months of 2011.