Most of the blame for the government shutdown, which began at midnight, lies with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer because he is “fighting for his political life” and refusing to work with Republicans on a short-term funding plan, Rep. Dan Meuser told Newsmax on Wednesday.
“He’s right now looking for a way out, how to resolve this, because they have no answers,” the Pennsylvania Republican said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “We saw what happened a few months ago when Schumer did the right thing, but his left-wing base that leads the Democratic Party came all over him and said he didn’t do enough.”
And now, Meuser said, the New York Democrat is “trying to figure out how to get out of this.”
“The best way is to work with us, have a plan for the ACA, and resolve this,” he said. “Move on, actually govern, and do what’s in the best interest of the American people.”
Ahead of the new fiscal year, which started at midnight, House Republicans passed a temporary funding bill to keep the government operating into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.
The measure has stalled repeatedly in the Senate, most recently late Tuesday, where it takes 60 votes to advance. A Democrat proposal also failed. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, Democrats are using their votes to press for concessions in the talks.
Meuser added that GOP lawmakers are not asking for new spending but simply for time to complete appropriations bills.
“All we’re asking for is time — nothing new, no new spending, which offends them. If they’re not spending more, they don’t think they’re doing anything. We just need these next seven weeks to finish our appropriations bills, all discussed on a bipartisan basis,” he said.
Meuser argued Democrats are mischaracterizing the GOP’s position, pointing out that Republicans in the House overwhelmingly voted to keep the government open.
“All the Republicans voted in the House, with the exception of one, to keep the government open. And all the Democrats in the House, with the exception of one, voted to close down the government,” he said. “They’re just trying to pull one over on the American people because they have nothing else to do except disrupt the roll this White House is on.”
The congressman warned that the shutdown would have consequences for federal services, from veterans programs and passports to airports.
“Anything that the federal government touches will have a consequence,” he said.
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