Are there enough House votes to end the government shutdown?
The latest twist in the budget battle is whether the House of Representatives could open the government with a so-called "clean" budget resolution - that is, a bill that deals only with the federal budget, and that does not address funding for the Affordable Care Act or defunding Obamacare, as many Republicans would like.
This would take a bipartisan vote to pass, with both Democrats and some Republicans in favor, to get over 217 votes.
So far, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, hasn't presented such a bill to the full House for an up-or-down vote, saying that in his own behind-the-scenes count, few if any Republicans would support it. He instead prefers to present bills that are supported by most or all of the House Republicans first.
As of now CBS News estimates that 213 House members, including all Democrats and 13 Republicans, would support such a bill, meaning the votes are almost there, but not quite. This situation is in flux, with members' preferences changing depending on the specifics of the bill, or asthe shutdown continues. We'll keep you posted as the numbers change. Estimates are based on CBS News reporting from Capitol Hill along with the most recent public statements of House members.
