Senate Majority Whip warns Democrats’ demands could lead to a government shutdown, while Republicans propose a clean, short-term extension.
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), the Senate Majority Whip, delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today, criticizing a government funding proposal put forth by Democrats and accusing them of attempting to force a government shutdown.
Senator Barrasso labeled the plan from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as a “Schumer Shutdown Plan,” asserting that it is not a serious effort to keep the government open but rather a political maneuver designed to fail. “It is a Trojan Horse packed with reckless and radical liberal fantasies,” Barrasso stated. He argued that Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and that their proposal is a “bait-and-switch plan” that the American people will not be “deceived” by.
According to Barrasso, the Democratic plan demands over $1 trillion in new spending to keep the government open for only four weeks.
He specified several provisions within the plan that he believes are extreme, including COVID bonus payments, providing taxpayer-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants in certain states, and a rejection of work requirements for able-bodied, working-age individuals receiving Medicaid. He also highlighted what he called a “long and spirited history of wasting American tax dollars,” pointing to proposed spending on climate projects in West Africa, Honduras, and civic engagement in Zimbabwe.
In contrast, Barrasso stated that Republicans are offering a “clean, short-term extension of funding,” which he said is designed to keep the government open and allow time for the bipartisan appropriations process to continue.
He noted that Democrats, under a previous administration, supported 13 short-term continuing resolutions to keep the government open, with 96% of Democrats voting in favor. He questioned why they would not do the same now, suggesting it is because “Democrats are putting politics ahead of the essential work of governing.”
Barrasso said that Senator Schumer’s proposal is loaded with “poison pills” that would never become law and that the current situation is a result of Schumer’s “political problem” with his “radical base” demanding a government shutdown. He warned that this political problem could turn into a major problem for American families, soldiers, Border Patrol agents, and seniors on fixed incomes.
Barrasso concluded his remarks by stating that the choice is clear: “Senate Republicans are ready to keep the government open. Democrats can either join us or drag the nation into a Schumer shutdown. The choice is theirs.”
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