Dems Rooting for a Shutdown as GOP Listens & Cuts Spending

Democrats still don’t get it.  After the House passed an historic $100 billion spending cut by a vote of 235-189 on Saturday – the first such “continuing resolution” ever debated where congressmen from both sides of the aisle could offer amendments, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) today insisted on maintaining the Democrats’ spending binge that’s has left us with a mountain of debt and a stalled economy.  NBC News has the details: 

“As a deadline looms for lawmakers to reach a bipartisan spending agreement or face a temporary government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has offered up the one possible solution that House Speaker John Boehner had already promised to shoot down.  Reid formally announced on Tuesday that he plans to bring a short term spending bill, often called a ‘continuing resolution’ or ‘CR’, to the floor next week to prevent a government shutdown.  

“But the stop-gap measure he plans to offer is exactly what Congressional Republicans have vowed to reject: a bill that funds the government for 30 days at existing levels, with no further spending cuts.  That’s a proposal that Boehner nixed last week.”

Republicans have repeatedly said that their goal is to cut spending, not to shut down the government.  In case Democrats missed the message, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reiterated his position today: 

“‘The House has passed legislation to keep the government running until October while cutting spending,’ said Boehner, referring to a bill passed by the House on Saturday morning that cuts more than $60 billion to the budget. ‘If Senator Reid refuses to bring it to a vote, then the House will pass a short-term bill to keep the government running — one that also cuts spending.’”

House Republicans are listening to the American people, who are demanding that Washington cut spending and liberate our economy from the shackles of debt to help create a better environment for private sector job growth.  Senator Reid and Washington Democrats should stop creating more uncertainty by spreading fears of a government shutdown and work with House Republicans to deliver on the People’s priorities.