McConnell Sets Up Shutdown Fight

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up a contentious battle Tuesday that could shut down the government, offering up a bill that links federal spending with the Republican push to defund Planned Parenthood. The federal government will run out of money at the end of the month if Congress does not act before then. But McConnell announced that rather than move a short-term measure to keep the government operating, and thus give Democrats and Republicans time to compromise on a longer plan, he will push a bill that defunds the family health care provider. Democrats are nearly unanimous in opposing such a move, guaranteeing that government funding will not pass in time unless McConnell relents.