The House of Representatives this week will be considering a continuing resolution ("CR") to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year (through September). This bill is terrific in that it cuts $100 billion from President Obama's discretionary spending request for FY 2011. However, there is one opportunity it might leave on the table.
Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) would like to offer an amendment to de-fund the implementation of Obamacare. Because of House rules, he will not be allowed to do so unless he is granted a kind of waiver by Speaker Boehner and the House leadership. There is little doubt that if his amendment were offered, it would pass and then it's up to the Senate to restore Obamacare funding.
The reason for the hesitation on the part of leadership is that the CR is an appropriations bill, and is therefore only supposed to be concerned with discretionary spending. The King amendment would affect entitlement (mandatory) spending, and self-appropriating authorizations from Obamacare itself. Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) will be offering an amendment to block the discretionary funding for Obamacare.
But today we learn that the House GOP leadership is allowing this very exception for another issue–Guantanamo Bay prisoner transfer to the United States. It's the exact same thing–just swap in "Obamacare" for "Guantanamo Bay prison," and you get the idea.
If an exception can be made for Guantanamo Bay prison, it should also be made for blocking the implementation of Obamacare.