House Republicans on Thursday were expected to start the process of passing a last-minute bill to keep the government open past Friday, but are still hunting for the votes needed to avoid a partial shutdown, with the help of the Trump administration.
GOP leaders on Wednesday took the temperature of their caucus on whether the bill can pass and seemed comfortable enough to tentatively plan on a Thursday vote.
"I think we are in a good place," said Rep. Rob Walker, R-N.C., who chairs the House GOP's largest faction, the Republican Study Committee. "At this point, we are keeping the Democrats on the run and think it's the best move forward. I think most of the members will support it."
Walker said Trump administration officials and the president are working the phones to push for passage of the temporary funding bill, which would keep the government fully operational until Feb. 16.
But there were several ways the bill could still be derailed, including whether House leaders added enough sweeteners to attract Republican support. The bill being considered would delay Obamacare taxes on medical devices and high-end health plans for two years and delay a tax on Obamacare insurers for one year.
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