Ted Cruz urges Harry Reid to call Senate into session

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to call the Senate back into session Sunday to avoid a government shutdown.

Cruz led a conservative mission to defund the Affordable Care Act with a 21-hour filibuster Wednesday, but the Democrat-controlled Senate has said any spending measure that doesn't including funding for the act won't be acceptable.

The stalemate threatens a government shutdown, which would go into effect midnight Monday if the two sides can't agree on a spending bill.

"In my view, [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid should call the Senate back in today," Cruz said in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There's no reason the Senate should be home on vacation."

"If Harry Reid forces a government shutdown, that will be a mistake. I hope he backs away from that ledge that he's pushing us towards," he added.

The House voted Saturday night to delay the health care overhaul for one year as part of the spending bill, something Cruz called "the essence of a compromise."

The Senate is next scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Monday, NBC News said.