House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace that Wallace had spent more time negotiating with him on the budget debate during their interview than President Obama had at all.
Politico reports the House passed two amendments to a must-pass government funding bill that rolls back elements of Obamacare. One repeals an unpopular medical device tax – a levy that has seen bipartisan opposition, and another implements a one-year delay of the law.
McCarthy said there would be a bill with another Obamacare provision that would "reflect the House" if the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected the present House bill, as is expected.
"We will pass the bill, if the Senate does [reject the bill], that will keep the government open, that will reflect the House, that I believe the Senate can accept, that will have fundamental changes into Obamacare that can protect the economy for America," he said.
McCarthy also insisted the government would not shut down during the interview:
WALLACE: Assuming that the Senators do what they say they're going to do and they reject this measure, will you have a clean CR with Democratic votes and send it back to the Senate to avoid a shutdown?
MCCARTHY: This is not a place to negotiate, but I will promise you this. We will pass the bill, if the Senate does what you think they will do, that will keep the government open, that will reflect the House, that I believe the Senate can accept, that will have fundamental changes into Obamacare that can protect the economy for America.
WALLACE: So there will be an Obamacare rider or amendment if you will? It won't be a clean CR.
MCCARTHY: I think there will be additions that I have found in the Senate that Senate Democrats say they can support. You just heard a senator from West Virginia that is a Democrat that said, 'Why does the president just treat business one way but he won't treat an individual another way?' I think there is big support inside the Senate, if we can pass, that will fundamentally help the economy of America.
WALLACE: If delay and defund are off the table is in the deal, what's on the table?
MCCARTHY: There are a lot of items on the table. But you spent more time negotiating with me than the president has spent any time negotiating on this. This is one of the biggest problems facing America. How many times have you found the Teamsters, the biggest unions in America, partnering with business? What do they say about Obamacare? They say it's destroying the economy. It's breaking the backbone of America, because no longer are we having full-time jobs. This bill is creating a part-time America.