Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) is pushing for a "clean" spending bill, free of any "polarizing ideological provisions." (Screen grab from CNN)

(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican, says he’s among 40 lawmakers who are trying to “bridge the partisan divide in Washington, D.C.”

“And our goal is to avoid a government shutdown,” Coffman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Monday. “We have to pass legislation, a spending bill, to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year, which is September 30th.

“We want to have a clean appropriations bill, a clean spending bill, free of any really polarizing ideological provisions in it that would cause a shutdown.”

Some of the potential “polarizing” provisions include the defunding of Planned Parenthood as well as $1.4 billion for President Trump’s long-promised border wall.

Blitzer told Coffman, “I take it, at this point, you would just as soon leave that (border wall funding) out of this stop-gap measure, this temporary spending bill.”

“Sure,” agreed Coffman. “And, you know, obviously the discussion to secure the border can continue, and we can have provisions into the next fiscal year starting in 1 October. But there's such a short time window here. There's just really no time.



“And I think that the fact is that it is a divisive issue. I certainly support securing the border. But I also support keeping the government open, and I think this would cause the kind of showdown that would lead to a shutdown.

Blitzer responded: “Yes, I think a lot of your colleagues agree with you.”

On another topic, Coffman said “there’s still a chance” that a revised health care bill could eventually pass the House, although Coffman said he has not yet seen details.