Sen. McConnell: Attempt To Defund Obamacare Had "No Chance"

"We got off track with a tactical error ... "

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Attempts to defund the Affordable Care Act as a condition to reopen government had no chance of succeeding, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.

McConnell worked with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to craft a deal that ended the government shutdown and averted hitting the U.S. government's debt limit hours before the debt ceiling would have been reached. The measure cleared both congressional houses by wide margins and was signed into law by President Obama early Thursday.

McConnell said Republicans diverted their focus from what was achievable in negotiating over government funding and raising the debt limit, Politico reported Thursday.