Another government shutdown is brewing as members of the Senate prepare to vote on hotly contested legislation that could potentially defund the non-profit Planned Parenthood. Democrats are preparing to filibuster if the measure passes, according to the Associated Press.
The voting for the stopgap spending bill is scheduled for Thursday and would keep the government operating until December 11th if passed, although it is unlikely it will make it out of the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promised a government shutdown will not be pursued by Senate Republicans. Some say that suggests he would soon seek a resolution to the budget crisis by way of a stopgap measure that would be free of any Planned Parenthood issue.
McConnell is supported by other GOP leaders in his desire to avoid another government shutdown like the one in 2013 that hurt the party and it’s political future.
Other Republicans not in leadership and desperate for attention are using the disagreement within their party as a platform for their self-interests. Notables such as presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have vowed to shutdown the government again if the situation calls for that action.
Both public and internal GOP polling shows that voters do not favor shutting down the government over Planned Parenthood’s practices.
Divisions within the GOP over tactics to take on Planned Parenthood have turned the party on its side, with some desperately trying to avoid past mistakes and others, namely Tea Party members, wanting a more confrontational approach.
The internal conflict has even spread as high up as a vote to remove House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio in a power grab that’s sure to unfold in the coming months.