Government Shutdown

Dems Fuming Over GOP Threats To Planned Parenthood, Health Care Law

Brian Beutler | September 29, 2011, 4:58PM

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Republicans are attaching controversial cuts and policy measures to legislation required to run the biggest domestic department in the federal government, and if they don't back off there will likely be, you guessed it, another government shutdown fight.

Already, Democrats in both chambers are saying a draft of the House's Labor/Health and Human Services appropriations bill is dead on arrival, because it contains deep cuts to heating assistance for the poor, requires the repeal of a major provision of the health care law that will help provide assistance for disabled people, halts implementation of the entire law until the Supreme Court determines the constitutionality of its individual insurance mandate, and slashes Planned Parenthood and public broadcasting. Just for starters.

A Senate Dem aide familiar with appropriations issues weighs in with the following statement.

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Barack Obama

Obama Administration Quietly Guts Bush-Era 'Conscience Clause' For Health Care Workers

Jillian Rayfield | February 28, 2011, 2:22PM

President Barack Obama

In a little-noticed move earlier this month, the Obama Administration rescinded part of the Bush-era "conscience clause," which permits health care workers to deny care or services if they have moral or religious objections.

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Health Care

The 'Un-American' Results If Republicans Really Force A Government Shutdown

Brian Beutler | September 2, 2010, 8:35AM

President Obama speaks at a bipartisan White House gathering with Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) in the background.

If Republicans win one or both houses of Congress and take their pledge to defund the health care law to its extreme, the logical end point of the ensuing fight with the White House will be a government shutdown. Or at least a partial one. And top conservatives are clamoring for that outcome.

"I'm almost giddy thinking about a government shutdown next year," tweeted Erick Erickson on Monday. "I cannot wait!"

"There's going to be a government shutdown, just like in '95 and '96 but we're going to win it this time and I'll be fightin' on your side," Dick Morris told attendees at the Americans for Prosperity Foundation Conference last week.

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