It’s day seven of the government shutdown, and although Congress has made some progress – like passing legislation that guarantees federal workers back-pay for their time furloughed – they still haven’t reached the ultimate deal…
Reopening the government.
And though President Obama and congressional Democrats have called for the House of Representatives to end the shutdown by passing a clean spending bill without any amendments to Obamacare, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) isn’t having it.
“There are not the votes in the House to pass” a clean spending bill, Boehner said, insisting that Democrats must accept some kind of alteration to the healthcare law before Republicans will agree to a budget deal.
“We voted to keep the government open,” he said. “Providing fairness to the American people, under Obamacare, is all we’re asking for.”
On the other hand, Democrats aren’t buying Boehner’s claim that the spending bill doesn’t have the necessary support to pass the House.
“The speaker said there aren’t the votes on the floor to re-open the government,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on ABC after Boehner’s interview. “Let me issue him a friendly challenge: put it on the floor Monday or Tuesday. I would bet there are the votes to pass it. We have just about every Democrat, 21 Republicans have publicly said they would. There are many more Republicans who have said that they privately would. So, Speaker Boehner, just vote. Put it on the floor and let’s see if you’re right.”
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew let Boehner have it as well.
“Why doesn’t he put it on the floor and give it a chance?” Lew asked. “You know, I worked for a speaker for eight years. I worked for Speaker [Tip] O’Neil who believed deeply that the one thing the American people won’t tolerate is obstructionism. He put things on the floor and sometimes he won and sometimes he lost. But that’s the right thing to do. Let the Congress vote.”
You hear the people, Boehner. Time to let some of that pride go.
SOURCE: CBS | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
