Democrats Poised to Filibuster Stopgap Funding Measure

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that would keep the government open only if President Barack Obama agrees to strip taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood is getting a vote in the Senate.

The stopgap funding measure is widely expected to fail at the hands of filibustering Senate Democrats.

The next steps aren't set in stone, although top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has promised there won't be a government shutdown. That suggests he would soon press ahead with a stopgap spending bill free of the Planned Parenthood dispute.

Some of Capitol Hill's most ardent conservatives are unafraid to extend the battle over Planned Parenthood even if it means a partial government shutdown next week. GOP leaders don't want another shutdown like the 2013 episode that hurt the party politically.

(Story by: Andrew Taylor, The Associated Press)

Filed Under: congress, congressional budget, filibuster, funding, planned parenthood

Categories: Associated Press, National News