Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made it clear today that there is no way for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to keep the Senate from considering the continuing resolution this week.

"There will be no filibuster today," Reid said on the Senate floor. "Filibusters stop people from voting, and we are going to vote tomorrow. Under the rules no one can stop that."

Cruz, who has said he is willing to use every procedural move to block a continuing resolution which does not include language to defund Obamacare, is scheduled to take the Senate floor this afternoon, but it remains unclear whether he will try to launch an old fashioned filibuster today.

But even if Cruz speaks throughout the night, a vote Wednesday will occur regardless because the Senate is operating on "auto pilot," as Reid described it Monday. According to a senior Democratic leadership aide, Senate rules dictate that the Senate will automatically adjourn at noon Wednesday then return to session to hold a cloture vote on the motion to proceed, which will require 60 votes.

"We're going to vote tomorrow regardless of what anyone says or does today, unless it's a consent agreement to collapse the time," Reid said.

Sending a message to his Republican colleagues, Reid quoted Confucius, saying "When anger rises, think of the consequences."

"It's time to set that anger aside. It's time to stop obsessing over old battles and think of the consequences of a government shutdown," Reid added.

Two key Republican senators - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas - have both said they will vote in favor of cloture because they support the continuing resolution sent over by the House since it defunds Obamacare.

"I just don't happen to think filibustering a bill that defunds Obamacare is the best route to defunding Obamacare," McConnell said. "All it does is shut down the government and keep Obamacare funded, and none of us want that."