Boehner May Have to Ask Pelosi for Votes to Fund Gov't

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) may have to turn to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to get the votes for a short-term resolution to fund the government after October 1.

After House conservatives refused to support a continuing resolution they felt was a “gimmick” to make it look like they were taking steps to defund Obamacare, Politico noted that Boehner may now “have to call on Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.” Congress has until September 30 to pass a continuing resolution. 

But Pelosi and Democrats will seek compromises for their votes. 

Democrats want to paint Republicans as “a party beholden to extremists,” possibly attach the Senate’s immigration bill to the short-term resolution to “counter the GOP effort to use the CR as a mechanism to force the Democratic-controlled Senate to vote on defunding Obamacare,” or seek compromises on the sequester. 

Though Politico notes that Boehner would not have to go to Pelosi “until he’s staring at the prospect of a shutdown,” Boehner would “most likely have to abandon the conservative call to include a defund provision” if he does seek help from her. According to the publication, when Boehner, Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) met last week, “Democrats made clear that any bill with a defund provision would be dead on arrival, both in the Senate and at the White House.”

Obama may also prefer to sign a continuing resolution to fund the government at current sequester levels to avoid the risk that would come with a potential showdown over the sequester.