McConnell: Government shutdown 'will not stop Obamacare'

CORBIN, Ky., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday "shutting down the government will not stop Obamacare."

McConnell, speaking at a healthcare facility in Corbin, Ky., said, "I'm for stopping Obamacare, but shutting down the government will not stop Obamacare," WYMT, Hazard, Ky., reported.

Congressional Republicans are split on a strategy favored by, among others, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, to force Democrats to accept defunding of the Affordable Care Act as part of a continuing resolution to fund routine government operations.

Cruz has said if congressional Democrats and the Obama administration do not accept defunding of the healthcare reform law -- commonly called Obamacare -- then Republicans would be able to blame them if the lack of an overall funding bill were to lead to a government shutdown.

If Congress does not pass legislation by Oct. 1 funding the government, the result could be a shutdown of routine government service, The Hill reported.