CaseyJones
09-21-2013, 05:27 PM
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/government-shutdown-house-democrats-options-97143.html
House Democrats are doing something they’re not used to: Pulling their punches.
Though the party was unsparing in its criticism of the spending bill passed by the House Friday that would defund Obamacare, they’re more coy about their next steps.
The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to strip the Obamacare provision next week. When the trimmed down bill comes back to the House, Democrats will have to decide whether to fight other provisions — like the sequester spending cuts — and risk a government shutdown or form a coalition with some in the GOP to keep the government running.
Democrats from the Washington suburbs, which have suffered from the sequester cuts, are girding for a fight.
“I’m willing to shut down the government to get rid of the sequester and that certainly isn’t in the immediate interest of federal employees,” said Rep. Jim Moran, who represents Arlington, Va.. “This is about the long-term interest of the government and the country. This is not going to be a world-class economy and progressive society if the government isn’t able to play it’s role.”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who hails from the Maryland suburbs, also hopes Democrats won’t accept a so-called “clean” continuing resolution that keeps the government funded at current levels.
“I haven’t counted votes on that but it’s still my recommendation that we vote no,” he said.
But most Democrats aren’t taking a firm position on whether they’d back a clean CR.
“I would like to see where we’re at in the discussions at this point,” said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). He joked that he even agrees with Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson that the current plan from House Republicans isn’t going to work.
“I just want to see where we’re going with this,” he said. “At what point does the Taliban wing allow the rest of the Republican Party to function? We’re concerned about where this leads us for a lot of discussions.”
Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) wouldn’t rule out voting for it either.
“If it’s clean, it will have to pass, let me leave it at that,” Levin said. “It has to pass. The issue is what John Boehner is going to do. He’s going to have to decide. And that means he’s going to essentially violate the Hastert rule. And if he brings it up, violates the Hastert rule and there are a lot of Republicans who will vote for it, it will have to pass.”
House Democrats are doing something they’re not used to: Pulling their punches.
Though the party was unsparing in its criticism of the spending bill passed by the House Friday that would defund Obamacare, they’re more coy about their next steps.
The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to strip the Obamacare provision next week. When the trimmed down bill comes back to the House, Democrats will have to decide whether to fight other provisions — like the sequester spending cuts — and risk a government shutdown or form a coalition with some in the GOP to keep the government running.
Democrats from the Washington suburbs, which have suffered from the sequester cuts, are girding for a fight.
“I’m willing to shut down the government to get rid of the sequester and that certainly isn’t in the immediate interest of federal employees,” said Rep. Jim Moran, who represents Arlington, Va.. “This is about the long-term interest of the government and the country. This is not going to be a world-class economy and progressive society if the government isn’t able to play it’s role.”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who hails from the Maryland suburbs, also hopes Democrats won’t accept a so-called “clean” continuing resolution that keeps the government funded at current levels.
“I haven’t counted votes on that but it’s still my recommendation that we vote no,” he said.
But most Democrats aren’t taking a firm position on whether they’d back a clean CR.
“I would like to see where we’re at in the discussions at this point,” said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). He joked that he even agrees with Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson that the current plan from House Republicans isn’t going to work.
“I just want to see where we’re going with this,” he said. “At what point does the Taliban wing allow the rest of the Republican Party to function? We’re concerned about where this leads us for a lot of discussions.”
Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) wouldn’t rule out voting for it either.
“If it’s clean, it will have to pass, let me leave it at that,” Levin said. “It has to pass. The issue is what John Boehner is going to do. He’s going to have to decide. And that means he’s going to essentially violate the Hastert rule. And if he brings it up, violates the Hastert rule and there are a lot of Republicans who will vote for it, it will have to pass.”