After a rebellion of more conservative Republicans torpedoed work last week in the House on a stop gap budget plan, GOP leaders decided to go "all-in" with Tea Party lawmakers, adding provisions to a temporary budget that would defund the Obama health reform law and lay down a marker in the fight over the debt limit.
"There should be no conversation at all about shutting the government down," said House Speaker John Boehner.
"That's not the goal here," the Speaker added.
But the push by the GOP on Obamacare certainly raised the possibility of partisan gridlock and the chance of a shutdown if Congress can't approve a budget plan by the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
"I'm tired of it, and I suspect you're tired of it, too," President Obama said of the wrangling, in remarks to a group of business leaders in Washington.
The GOP plan would fund the government through December 15 at the current budget level of $986 billion - not at the lower figure of $967 billion, which is where things will go after another round of sequestration cuts at the end of 2013.
Republicans in the Senate aren't pleased with that decision by Boehner, which means some GOP lawmakers in the House might share that opinion, meaning that a House vote on this stop gap budget could be a nail biter.
The plan not only funds the federal government, but also adds in extra provisions from two other bills - here's the description from the House Rules Committee of the changes made on Wednesday night:
A vote seems likely on Thursday on the rule providing for debate, with final action in the House expected on Friday.
Senate action would then come next week.
Stay tuned.
