Senate Republicans introduce spending bill to avert shutdown, defund Planned Parenthood

The stop-gap bill introduced Tuesday would defund Planned Parenthood and increase defense spending by approximately $13 billion. The measure will almost certainly fail when it comes up for a procedural vote on Thursday as Democrats are expected to object to both the defense funding increase and the effort to strip funds from the embattled women’s health organization. But the gambit is just the first in a set of delicate moves by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell aimed at averting an Oct. 1 shutdown. Once the bill fails, GOP leaders are expected to immediately introduce a second spending bill funding the government at current spending levels through the same date, according to several senior Senate aides. That bill — which is being called a “clean continuing resolution” or “clean CR” because of its lack of policy riders — is expected to pass.