Funding surges to group that backed budget showdown

Fredreka Schouten | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Donations to the Senate Conservatives Fund soared in September as the political action committee helped push a conservative rebellion in Congress to dismantle President Obama's health care law, a campaign report filed Friday shows.

The political action committee raised more $2.1 million last month, its best fundraising haul of the year. More than 90% of its donations came in amounts of $200 or less. In all, it has collected $5.6 million so far in 2014.

The group, which has endorsed Tea Party-aligned candidates against Republican incumbents, shows no signs of backing down from intra-party fights. It announced Friday that it would back Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in his effort to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky's GOP primary next year.

The Senate Conservatives Fund, founded by Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint when he was in the Senate, was among the outside groups aiding Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in his 2012 Senate contest. Cruz has emerged as leading voice in the fight to kill the health care law.

Over the summer, the group launched a website, dontfundobamacare.com, and an online petition, urging support for House Republican efforts to fund government operations without providing funds for the Affordable Care Act. More than 2 million signed the online petition.

September's budget showdown over dismantling the health care law led to a 16-day partial shutdown of the government.