WASHINGTON -- In the days since the government shut down, House Republicans have slowly but steadily been coming forward to say they're ready to pass a bill to fund the government with no strings attached.
So far, at least 29 Republicans have said they're on board -- exceeding the 217 votes needed to pass a "clean" funding bill if all 200 House Democrats joined them and voted in favor. Of course, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would have to be willing to put such a bill on the floor in the first place. But if he did, the votes appear to be there for passage, at which point the bill would sail through the Senate and be signed by President Barack Obama, ending the shutdown.
HuffPost has been keeping a running tally of which Republicans have said they're done trying to force through provisions to delay or defund Obamacare in order to keep the government running. That list is below.
But as of Tuesday, Oct. 8, we're adding another category: Republicans in that group who have since changed their minds and say they will no longer support a bill that simply reopens the government without extra provisions. Four Republicans have flip-flopped as of Oct. 8, which means the total number of GOP members who publicly support a clean continuing resolution is back down to 25.
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House Republicans Who Support A 'Clean' Funding Bill:
1. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.): “I'm prepared to vote for a clean [continuing resolution].” [The Huffington Post, 9/29/13]
2. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.): King thinks House Republicans would prefer to avoid a shutdown and said he will only vote for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government, according to the National Review Online. [NRO, 9/30/13]
3. Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.): “At this point, I believe it’s time for the House to vote for a clean, short-term funding bill to bring the Senate to the table and negotiate a responsible compromise.” [Press Release, 10/1/13]
4. Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.): “Time for a clean [continuing resolution].” [Official Twitter, 10/1/13]
5. Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.): “Enough is enough. Put a clean [continuing resolution] on the floor and let’s get on with the business we were sent to do." [Burlington County Times, 10/1/13]
6. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.): A Fitzpatrick aide tells the Philadelphia Inquirer the congressman would support a clean funding bill if it came up for a vote. [Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/1/13]
7. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.): A Wolf aide told The Hill that he agrees with fellow Virginia Rep. Scott Rigell (R) that it's time for a clean continuing resolution. [The Hill, 10/1/13]
8. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.): A Grimm aide told The Huffington Post that the congressman supports a clean continuing resolution. [10/1/13].
9. Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.): A local news anchor in Minnesota tweeted that Paulsen told him he would vote for a clean resolution if given the chance. [Blake McCoy Tweet, 10/1/13]
10. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.): A constituent of Wittman's sent The Huffington Post an email she got from the congressman indicating he would vote for a clean funding bill but hasn't had "an opportunity to do so at this point." [10/1/13]
11. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.): LoBiondo told The Press of Atlantic City he'll support "whatever gets a successful conclusion" to the shutdown and a clean funding bill "is one of those options." [The Press of Atlantic City, 10/1/13]
12. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho): Simpson told a Roll Call reporter, "I'd vote for a clean CR because I don't think this is a strategy that works." [Daniel Newhauser Tweet, 10/1/13]
13. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.): The congressman issued a statement saying he would "vote in favor of a so-called clean budget bill." [Office of Rep. Jim Gerlach, 10/2/13].
14. Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.): Young told Tampa Bay Times reporter Alex Leary that he's ready to vote for a clean funding bill. "The politics should be over," he said. "It's time to legislate." [Alex Leary Tweet, 10/2/13]
15. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.): The congressman told Miami Herald reporter Marc Caputo that he would vote for a clean funding bill, provided it has the same funding levels contained in the Senate-passed bill. [The Miami Herald, 10/2/13]
16. Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.): "I would take a clean (continuing resolution)." [Observer-Dispatch, 10/2/13]
17. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.): A Davis constituent told HuffPost that a Davis aide told him Wednesday, verbatim: "Congressman Davis is prepared to vote 'yes' on a clean CR." Asked for comment, Davis spokesman Andrew Flach would not rule it out, saying that Davis isn't "going to speculate" on what bills may come up and "will continue to vote for proposals brought to the floor that will fund the federal government." [10/2/13]
18. Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.): Asked on Twitter if he would support a clean funding bill if it came up for a vote, Griffin tweeted, "sure. Ive already said i would support." [Official Twitter, 10/2/13].
19. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska): Shannyn Moore, a well-known radio host and blogger in Alaska, says an aide in Young's office told her the congressman would vote for a clean CR. One of Young's constituents also told HuffPost that aides in the congressman's D.C. and Juneau offices both said he would support a clean CR. Young's office did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost. [Shannyn Moore tweet, 10/4/13]
20. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash): "I will continue to vote for any legislation that keeps the federal government open." [Press Release, 10/4/13]
21. Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.): Ross said in a Tampa Bay Times op-ed that he would vote for "a continuing resolution that funds the government at sequestration levels for one year," otherwise known as a clean CR. [Tampa Bay Times, 10/7/13]
22. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.): Keith Merckx, a reporter for Radio Oklahoma, provided HuffPost with an audio file from an Oct. 1 interview he did with Cole, in which the congressman said, "Let's pass what's called a clean continuing resolution. I'll certainly support that if it's put on the floor." [Radio Oklahoma, 10/7/13]
23. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.): "I will argue before my colleagues in the House that we need to pass a 'clean' spending bill to immediately reopen the government." [The Denver Post, 10/8/13]
25. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.): During an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Issa said, "I'll vote for a clean CR." [CNN, 10/15/13]
House Republicans Who Have Changed Their Minds:
1. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.): Nunes told The Huffington Post on Sept. 30 he would support a clean continuing resolution. The congressman later denied ever saying it, and by Oct. 7, a Nunes spokesman said the congressman doesn't support a clean funding bill, but HuffPost got Nunes' original comments on tape. [The Huffington Post, 10/7/13]
2. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.): Lance's chief of staff confirmed to the The Huffington Post on Oct. 2 that he told a constituent that he supported clean government funding bills in the past "and would not oppose doing so again should one be brought to the floor." But on Oct. 8, Lance's spokesman told HuffPost that the congressman doesn't support a clean CR and "we didn't think he should have been included in the first place." [The Huffington Post, 10/8/13]
3. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.): Barletta told the Bethlehem Morning Call on Oct. 2 that he would "absolutely" vote for a clean bill to avert a government shutdown. But on Oct. 8, Barletta told Slate reporter Dave Weigel that he no longer supports it. [Dave Weigel Tweet, Oct. 8]
4. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.): Forbes told The Virginian-Pilot on Oct. 2 that he would support the six-week clean funding bill that passed in the Senate. But on Oct. 8, a Forbes aide told CNN "it's not true" that he ever supported it. [CNN, 10/8/13]
This is a developing story and has been updated.
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