A sense of the absurd spread on the Senate floor as lawmakers voted a second time within hours to reject a House-passed funding stopgap shortly before a midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
Senators defeated the House proposal along party lines, 54-46. There were no defections. The measure would have delayed the individual mandate, a core piece of the Affordable Care Act, and prevented congressional lawmakers and staff from receiving federal subsidies when they enter healthcare exchanges.
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The situation appeared surreal to lawmakers as the clock ticked toward midnight, and there appeared no evidence of progress or even negotiations between the two sides.
“Three and a half hours essentially until the government begins to shut down. Can you believe this?” asked Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Ann MikulskiDems ponder gender politics of 2020 nominee Robert Mueller's forgotten surveillance crime spree Clinton: White House slow-walking Russia sanctions MORE (D-Md.), the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are the United States of America. We are a superpower. We’re supposed to be a nation governed by rule of law, and we’re about to shut down.”Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Mason ReidKavanaugh furor intensifies as calls for new testimony grow Dems can’t ‘Bork’ Kavanaugh, and have only themselves to blame Dem senator: Confidential documents would 'strongly bolster' argument against Kavanaugh's nomination MORE (D-Nev.) invoked Albert Einstein's definition of insanity as performing the same action repeatedly and expecting a different result. He panned the House-passed legislation for increasing the out-of-pocket healthcare costs of lawmakers and staffers.
“This time the House has attached a poison pill that would punish 16,000 congressional staff,” he said.
Senate Democrats left little doubt before the vote that they would strike the amendments attached to a stopgap bill funding government through Dec. 15.
Reid declared earlier in the day that Senate Democrats would not accept any changes to ObamaCare. He said they would not even negotiate oven the landmark law until after Congress raises the debt ceiling, which is due to expire Oct. 17.
“We are not going to mess around with ObamaCare, no matter what they do,” Reid said.
“They should get a life,” he said of House conservatives. “It is the law, declared constitutional. The exchanges are coming on board tomorrow.”
Democrats voted in unison against delaying the individual mandate after nine House Democrats defected from their leadership earlier in the evening to postpone the controversial penalty.
The new law’s open-enrollment period begins Oct. 1.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin
Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinGrassley to administration: You must consult Congress on refugee cap Overnight Health Care: Senators target surprise medical bills | Group looks to allow Medicaid funds for substance abuse programs | FDA launches anti-vaping campaign for teens Bipartisan group wants to lift Medicaid restriction on substance abuse treatment MORE (D-Ill.) said Republicans are desperate to stop the law before Tuesday to prevent people from learning more about the law’s benefits.“That’s why Republicans want to stop ObamaCare. They don’t want these exchanges to be announced. They don’t want people to see these options. They know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Senate Democratic leaders renewed their call on Speaker John Boehner
John Andrew BoehnerBlue wave poses governing risks for Dems Nancy Pelosi: Will she remain the ‘Face of the Franchise’? Jordan hits campaign trail amid bid for Speaker MORE (R-Ohio) to put the Senate-passed stopgap up for a vote on the House floor.“If they call it for a vote, it will pass. They know it.
Sen. Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzFive takeaways from Cruz, O'Rourke's fiery first debate NY Times, McCabe give Trump perfect cover to fire Rosenstein, Sessions Live coverage: Cruz, O'Rourke clash in Texas debate MORE (R-Texas) said Reid would deserve the blame if the government shuts down Tuesday. 
