Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)has just stated that if Republican and Democratic politicians as well as the president cannot agree on a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund government for the rest of the fiscal year, then to stop a complete government shutdown the GOP could pursue a temporary measure before March when the previous temporary CR is set to expire.
The Hill:
"If we don't get agreement in the meantime, yes, we do think there's going to be some sort of situation where there's a short-term CR," Ryan said on "Good Morning America."
Democratic politicians have been "pounding away" at a political message accusing Republicans of risking a government shutdown over spending differences, to which Ryan's comments in the above video could be a response to.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, cited comments from House Republican Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, quoted in a CNN.COM story, saying it is a “possibility” that the fight over spending cuts could lead to a government shutdown.
Many Republicans are against another temporary CR because that would leave spending levels at their current rate which is unsustainable.
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Monday said, “Any time that we propose a spending cut, it seems that Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid and others scream, ‘Shutdown.’”
Boehner and McConnell have declined to rule out the possibility of a government shutdown in recent television interviews. Doing so would hurt the GOP’s leverage with the White House. Both have emphasized their intent is to reduce spending, not shutter the government.
We spend more than we take in and that type of fiscal irresponsibility is what Americans are fed up with.
Republicans are proposing $1 billion in cuts, Democrats are balking and keep screaming "shutdown", using it as a fear campaign.
In this instance though, the American people, voters, want government to control their spending habits and Democrats are once again backing the wrong horse for if Republicans lay out a CR which cuts spending but still funds government and the Democratically controlled Senate and Obama's White House refuses to pass it, then the blame will lay squarely on Democrats and they know it, which is why they are trying to shape the message.
Americans are not as stupid as Democrats seem to think they are and this will backfire on them if they force a shutdown simply to try to blame the GOP for it.
The Republican controlled House of Representatives needs to set the proposal up, put it online for Americans to see, pass it, then throw the ball into the Senate's court and shine a spotlight brightly on Harry Reid, daring him to shutdown the whole shebang.
The only way to control spending is to force Democrats to stop spending.
The GOP needs to have confidence in the American public that we will watch, we will see who is trying to get a handle on spending and who is fighting against it and we will hold those refusing to cut spending accountable.
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