The U.S. Senate overcame a strategy by some conservative Republicans to gut President Obama's healthcare law in exchange for keeping the government running, The Chicago Tribune reported. The Senate cast a rare 100-0 vote to take up legislation to keep the government open past September 30, NBC News reported.
This comes only hours after Texas Senator Ted Cruz waged a 21 hour filibuster-like campaign in hopes of convincing the Senate to defund the healthcare law.
Most Republicans have expressed their displeasure with Cruz, like Rep. Peter King who labeled him "a fraud." These Republicans said that they would rather focus on attaching new amendments to the bill, which may stand a better chance to curb aspects of the law instead, news reports said. Their hopes to amend certain measures, like a repeal of the new tax on medical device manufacturers, or a delay of the individual mandate that all Americans carry health in 2014, are now being considered.
"Every hour we delay here, we move closer to shutting down our government," Democrat Harry Reid said.
The second budget battle still is hanging over Congress, Treasure Secretary Jack Lew reminded lawmakers on Wednesday.
Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said that the U.S. President will likely speak with congresesional leaders in the coming days, even though a specific meeting was not announced.
"It would be irresponsible not to fund the essential functions of government out of ideological pique," Carney said. Carney reiterated that Obama would not negotiate over the debt ceiling.
"The debt ceiling must be raised,. This cannot and should not be a matter of negotiation," Carney added.
Some Republicans have said that they may have some leverage in the budget debate since some Democrats may be inclined to reach an agreement turning off across-the-board budget cuts, known in D.C. as the sequester, news reports said.
