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With a federal shutdown days away, Senate Republicans tried -- and failed -- on Thursday to advance legislation that would eliminate money for Planned Parenthood but keep government offices and services open. Democrats blocked the bill with a filibuster, refusing to cut funds for the large family planning organization after secretly recorded videos disclosed officials discussing the practice of providing fetal tissue from abortions for research. The debate has become a national conversation on abortion. (Mascaro, 9/24)

Senate Democrats blocked a bill Thursday to keep the government funded through Dec. 11 because of a Republican provision to strip Planned Parenthood of federal money for a year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., moved immediately after the vote to try to avert an Oct. 1 government shutdown by filing a new bill that funds federal agencies but does not include the divisive Planned Parenthood provision. A vote on that bill could come as early as Monday. (Kelly, 9/24)

In the House, GOP leaders called a meeting of their fractious rank and file for Friday morning to discuss whether to accept the Senate’s move or reject it at the risk that continuing the fight over Planned Parenthood would lead to a government shutdown. The White House signaled President Barack Obama would sign the measure, called a continuing resolution, into law — if the House steps aside from the fight tea party Republicans want over “defunding” Planned Parenthood. (Taylor, 9/24)

House Republican leaders will move next week to approve a "clean" government spending bill — and avert a shutdown — but only after they hold a vote on a measure to bar federal funding for Planned Parenthood, according to multiple sources familiar with the GOP's plan. The move, which comes as conservatives are weighing whether to try to remove John Boehner as House speaker, was discussed at a closed GOP leadership meeting Thursday. It involves a legislative tactic called an "enrollment correction," which essentially changes the text of a bill that has passed the House and the Senate. But it would ultimately be a meaningless exercise: The Senate would reject the measure, and President Barack Obama has said he will veto any spending bill that tries to defund Planned Parenthood. (Sherman, Palmer and Bresnahan, 9/24)

House GOP leaders have summoned their divided conference for a make-or-break discussion on how to fight taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood without having the battle lead to a government shutdown next week. ... Friday's meeting is likely to center on immediate action to use a special filibuster-proof budget bill to send legislation defunding Planned Parenthood to Obama's desk for the first time — rather than a futile bid to attach the anti-Planned Parenthood measure to a stopgap spending bill. The temporary measure is needed to avoid a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday. It would fund the government through Dec. 11. (Taylor, 9/25)

The call to repeal one of the Affordable Care Act's most controversial provisions got louder on Thursday when a group of prominent Democratic senators introduced legislation to abolish the so-called "Cadillac Tax" on high-cost, employer-sponsored health plans. The action further solidified growing bipartisan opposition to the tax, which has already drawn the ire of employers, insurers, unions and benefits groups. They claim the tax would burden working families with higher costs and force employers to cut benefits. (Pugh, 9/24)