New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the government shutdown threat "irresponsible." (Luigi Novi, Wikimedia Commons)

Last week House Republicans pushed forward a federal spending bill that included a provision to defund the president’s health care law. The provision was removed from a “clean” version of the budget bill the Senate passed Friday, which returns now to the House for approval. If the two chambers fail to reach an agreement Monday night when the current budget year ends, many government agencies will be forced to shut down.

SEE ALSO: Senate Approves Budget Bill, Saves Obamacare

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told CNN Friday that while he disapproves of Obamacare, he believes there are better ways of combating the law than risking a shutdown.

“Using a government shutdown to push [the anti Obamacare objective] will be counterproductive politically,” Romney said. “It’s going to end up hurting our party.”

Romney suggested instead delaying the healthcare plan by one year, and concentrating on electing more Republicans to Congress to fight the law in the “traditional way.” 

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also criticized the shutdown threat, calling it “irresponsible.”

“If you’re running the government, to be advocating shutting it down… that by definition is a failure,” Christie, a potential 2016 GOP presidential nominee, said in an interview with CBS.

SEE ALSO: House Votes to Defund Obamacare

Other prominent Republican figures, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, have also expressed reservations over the shutdown approach.

Such criticisms have put these politicians at odds with the Tea Party-aligned faction of their party, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Flor.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who made headlines earlier this week for his 21-hour fake filibuster against Obamacare.

Read more Neon Tommy coverage on the debate over Obamacare here.

Reach Executive Producer Chrystal Li here.