GOP floats more ideas for mini-spending bills

“Victims of crime and those who protect our communities should not be victims of the Senate Shutdown,” Poe said. “The first essential duty of government is to ensure the safety and security of its people. That duty does not stop now.”

{mosads}Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) proposed a bill offering funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or the WIC program. That program is used by roughly 9 million people and offers food aid, nutrition counseling and breastfeeding support.

Both bills have the potential to be called up in the coming days and weeks by House GOP leaders, who have said they would continue passing smaller bills to reopen parts of the government affected by the shutdown.

This week, the House is on pace to pass at least five of these bills and send them to the Senate. However, Democrats have so far said they would reject them, an effort to push the GOP to accept a continuing resolution that funds the entire government.

As of Thursday morning, there were no signs of any agreement on a full bill, as Republicans have insisted on language that delays the implementation of ObamaCare.

As the shutdown stretches into its third day, House members have also proposed new bills that would cut or reduce the pay of members of Congress. Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas) proposed a new bill to withhold member pay, and Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) proposed a bill reducing the rate of pay for members due to the shutdown.