Updated at 12:24 a.m. ET Sunday
The House voted early Sunday to tie government funding to a one-year delay in implementing Obamacare, sending the dispute back to the Senate, where it is certain to get a frosty reception. The House measure also repeals the Affordable Care Act's tax on medical devices.
But with a government shutdown looming at midnight Monday, the White House said President Obama would veto the House bill, on the unlikely chance it made it through the Senate. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., released a statement rejecting the House plan as "pointless."
House Democrats called the plan a vote to prolong the dispute and close the government down.
"Let us be very clear," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said on the House floor. "Let us not be full of smoke and mirrors. Tonight the Republican majority will vote to shut the government down."
Those in the Republican majority are hoping to turn that argument on its head.
"We're going to give a stark choice to the president of the United States and the Senate," said Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas. "Do you want to shut down the government, or do you want to force onto the American people a 2,500-page bill that was forced through here so fast, Speaker Pelosi said we have to pass the bill to find out what's in it."
Asked what happens after the Senate inevitably rejects their version of the bill on Monday, a number of House Republicans said they didn't have the next play planned out.
The House also passed a measure that would insure the troops continue to get paid in the event of a shutdown. Democrats ripped into Republicans for what they said was unfair treatment of other government workers, who are not guaranteed back pay if they endure a closure.
"We are the board of directors of that government," said Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "I can't believe there's one of us, Mr. Speaker, that would serve on a board of directors and treat a large portion of our employees with such disrespect, with such lack of consideration, with such contempt at times as we treat our civilian employees."
But Republicans defended their measure, which would keep government operations funded through the middle of December.
"This is a bill to keep the government open," said Rep. Rob Woodall of Georgia.
Early in the day, Republicans exiting their closed-door meeting said they were united behind the one-year-delay strategy.
"I think conservatives are winning," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas. "Stop Obamacare and not stop the government is what we're hearing from folks at home, so I think leadership's listened."
Republicans insist their proposal doesn't have to lead to a government shutdown, and could even get some Democratic support in the Senate.
That is unlikely. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state weighed in promptly after the proposal was announced:
"By pandering to the Tea Party minority and trying to delay the benefits of health care reform for millions of seniors and families, House Republicans are now actively pushing for a completely unnecessary government shutdown."