Senate Votes Against Raising the Debt Limit

Government shutdown: Senate rejects Democratic debt limit extension

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has rejected a Democratic effort to extend the government's ability to borrow money through next year.

Before the vote, Republican senators said Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have begun negotiations aimed at extending the country's borrowing limit and ending the 12-day-old government shutdown.

It was a near party-line vote - 53-45 - that derailed the Democratic measure. The 53 votes were seven short of the 60 required to overcome Republican objections to considering the measure.

Earlier in the day, House Speaker John Boehner told fellow Republicans that his talks with President Barack Obama have stalled.

The administration has warned it will deplete its borrowing authority by Oct. 17, risking a damaging federal default, unless Congress acts.

A timeline of Congress' battle over the partial government shutdown and expiring federal borrowing authority:

Sept. 20: Republican-run House ignores White House veto threat, votes to keep government open through Dec. 15 if President Barack Obama agrees to cut off money for his 2010 health care law.

Sept. 24-25: Tea party Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other conservatives speak on Senate floor for more than 21 consecutive hours about using shutdown bill to weaken health care law.

Sept. 27: Democratic-led Senate votes to remove House-approved provision defunding health care law, sends bill keeping agencies open through Nov. 15 back to House.

Sept. 29: House shifts demands on health care law, votes to delay implementation for a year and repeal tax on medical devices. Separately, House votes to pay troops in case of shutdown. Senate approves bill next day, Obama signs it into law.

Sept. 30: Senate rejects latest House provisions curbing health care law. House reworks shutdown bill again, delaying for a year health care law requirement that individuals buy health insurance and requiring members of Congress and staff to pay full expense of health insurance, without government paying part of costs. Senate kills latest House health care provisions.

Oct. 1: Government's new fiscal year begins, partial federal shutdown starts. House stands by language delaying required individual health coverage and blocking federal health insurance subsidies for Congress, requests formal negotiations with Senate. Senate quickly rejects House effort for formal bargaining.

Oct. 2: Embarking on strategy of voting to restart popular programs, Republicans push bills through House reopening national parks and National Institutes of Health and letting the District of Columbia municipal government spend money. Democrats mostly vote "no," saying entire government must reopen. Senate ignores the measures. Obama discusses impasse with congressional leaders at White House, no progress reported.

Oct. 3: House votes to pay members of the National Guard and Reserves and finance veterans' programs.

Oct. 4: House votes to finance federal disaster aid programs and feeding programs for infants and pregnant women. Republicans increasingly tie shutdown fight to need for Congress to renew federal borrowing authority by Oct. 17 or risk economy-rattling government default. GOP leaders increasingly shift their conditions for passage of the shutdown and debt limit bills to deficit reduction.

Oct. 5: House votes to pay furloughed federal workers when shutdown ends. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says he is bringing most of his department's 350,000 furloughed workers back to work immediately.

Oct. 6: House Speaker John Boehner says House won't pass bills ending shutdown or raising debt limit without negotiations on GOP demands.

Oct. 7: House votes to fund Food and Drug Administration programs.

Oct. 8: House votes to finance Head Start, pay civil servants working during shutdown and create panel of lawmakers to negotiate on deficit reduction. Obama and Boehner suggest they might consider short-term bills ending the shutdown and extending the debt limit to give them time to negotiate.

Oct. 9: House votes to pay halted death benefits to families of fallen troops and to finance Federal Aviation Administration.

Oct. 10: Boehner proposes six-week debt limit extension, conditioned on Obama bargaining over spending cuts and reopening government. House GOP leaders discuss standoff with Obama at White House, no deal but both sides cite progress. Senate passes bill providing death benefits for slain troops and Obama signs it, House votes to fund border security programs.

Oct. 11: White House, congressional Republicans continue bargaining. House passes bill financing nuclear weapons security, research. A bipartisan Senate group works on a measure that would reopen the government and prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its bills.

Source: By The Associated Press October 12, 2013 - 07:37 am  Updated: October 12, 2013 - 03:19 pm  Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296_page2.html#ixzz2hYAI8cy7
Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296_page2.html#ixzz2hY9zjPwz
Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-no-good-reason-to-continue-shutdown-obama-says-95296.html#ixzz2hY9XwlIG
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