Today, by a vote of 54 to 44 the Senate passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) which would keep the government running through November 15, 2013.  Unless some version of a CR is enacted by midnight on Monday, September 30, 2013, the government faces a shutdown.

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would keep the government funded through December 15, 2013, but also called for the defunding of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Earlier this month, the Obama Administration released a Statement of Administrative Policy (SAP) indicating the President would veto the House-passed bill.

Now that the Senate has passed its CR, the House will have to decide whether to accept the Senate measure or attempt to pass a different bill.  If the House agrees to the Senate-passed measure, the bill will then go to the President for his signature and a government shutdown will be avoided.  If the House does not accept the Senate-passed bill and decides to make changes, the Senate will have to vote on the revised measure and due to various procedural procedures in the Senate, a government shutdown becomes more likely.