WASHINGTON — House Democrats threatened on Thursday to withhold their support for a stopgap spending bill if Republicans pressed forward with a swift vote on their legislation to repeal and replace the health care law.
The threat by Democrats raised the possibility of a government shutdown this weekend, given that House Republicans have needed Democratic votes to pass spending measures in recent years.
Lawmakers face a Friday night deadline to approve a spending measure to keep the federal government open. Late Wednesday, congressional Republicans introduced a short-term spending measure that would give them until May 5 to finalize a spending bill or pass another stopgap measure.
The measure still needs to be approved by the House and Senate.
Lawmakers are working to finish a spending package that would fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. But the talks to finish that work are occurring as Republicans are simultaneously trying to revive their legislation to repeal and replace the health care law.
On Thursday, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, a top-ranking Democrat, said if Republicans were to announce plans to bring their revised health bill to the floor on Friday or Saturday, he would advise Democrats to oppose the short-term measure.
Criticizing the repeal legislation, Hoyer said Republicans were “trying to jam it through the House before their members can hear from the American people this weekend about their opposition to this horrible legislation.”
Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin said Republicans were “making very good progress” on the repeal legislation, but no decision had been made regarding a vote. He brushed off the threat from Democrats.
“I would be shocked that they would want to see a government shutdown,” Ryan said.
The long-term spending deal is expected to provide more funding for the military and for border security, although President Donald Trump backed off his demand that lawmakers provide money to go toward the wall he wants to build along the border with Mexico.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the short-term spending measure, known as a continuing resolution, would “continue to keep the government open and operating as normal for the next several days.”