America may be just one week away from a devastating federal government shutdown. And while it is well known that a bloc of the Republican party doesn’t support a funding bill that would include money for Planned Parenthood, the Democrats on the other side of the aisle have traditionally met moderate Republicans half-way to ensure the government continues to function.
Now the Democrats may be seizing the opportunity to sabotage budget compromise plans to keep the government running — all with an eye toward blaming an eventual shutdown on the GOP.
Both public and internal GOP polling shows that voters do not favor shutting down the government, a fact the Democrats seem to be banking on.
The Senate is preparing to vote on legislation that would keep the government open beyond next Wednesday’s deadline at a price Democrats are certain to reject — stripping taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood.
The stopgap spending bill, which would keep the government operating through Dec. 11, is widely expected to fail today. The next steps aren’t set in stone, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is trying to avoid a government shutdown. That suggests he would soon press ahead with a “clean” stopgap measure that keeps Planned Parenthood funding intact.
But the Democrats may be more interested in making the GOP look bad than compromise on a spending bill, according to multiple reports.
Influential California Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra said he was considering voting against the clean measure that would keep the government open, adding that he wasn’t particularly interesting in keeping Republicans from “killing themselves.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, was asked about helping the GOP solve the issue and said,”It’s not our responsibility,” to help the Republicans figure it out.
With a 2016 presidential race looming, political analysts say Democrats may be secretly hoping for — and nudging along — a shutdown that voters are likely to blame on the GOP.
Internal GOP divisions over which tactics to use to take on Planned Parenthood have House Republican leaders tied in knots, and they’ve been unable to take on their traditional role of initiating spending legislation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
The Democrats may have this to backfire on them. I suspect many people find the idea of trafficking in dead bodies to be offensive. Planned Parenthood is making money off the abortion. We now know Planned Parenthood is making money off selling the remains of the slaughtered babies. We also know that Planned Parenthood contracts out its non-abortion related services. What remains is an organization which is making a lot of money off funneling taxpayer money to subcontractors. In these days of a growing national debt defunding Planned Parenthood makes sense. That organization is profitable enough to easily survive without taxpayer dollars.
Yes, LET THE DEMS shut it down.!! WE ARE TIRED OF THEIR TREATS. TIRED OF OBAMA. TIRED OF NANCY, TIRED OF HARRY. SHUT IT DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE.
Well you can bet that Boehner and McConnel won’t need any help from the DumboRats….These two traitors are at best DumboRats light…. I wish both of them would be recalled… That would at least be a good start.
Good news! Boehner has announced his resignation effective at the end of October. Now we need McConnell to follow suit, then Obama. If you think that can’t happen, consider that Obama is pushing Joe Biden to run against Hillary. If he is the nominee, he will lose the general, unless, he is running as the incumbent. That’s his only chance.
Normally I would say that the American people are not that stupid. (about whose fault it is). But seeing people signing petitions to bomb North Korea and Hitler for president, I have lost my faith in people.
Which is why I no longer vote in elections. The people of this country — all of us — are a bunch of Looney Tunes cartoon characters, with the result that our country is finished, in every way imaginable.
Tommy Kelly;
Your comments are null and void… Many people gave their lives for you to have that right…If you don’t vote you have no right to complain, or even comment…. Could be you are the Looney Tune!
“they’ve been unable to take on their traditional role of initiating spending legislation” That’s their job and they can’t figure out how to do it?
I think Al Gore should run.
Hell , let them shut it down!! Go on TV and tell why they will shut it down—then after the shutdown–go back on TV and tell WHY!!!! Explain the role that not funding Planned Parenthood played in “why” the Dems shut it down!! I believe that the people can understand the corruption and it will backfire on the Dems!—–But only if the GOP will explain it to the people!
“Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, was asked about helping the GOP solve the issue and said,”It’s not our responsibility,” to help the Republicans figure it out.”
YES, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP FIGURE IT OUT! What the hell is wrong with this idiot who doesn’t realize that we are all on the same side as Americans and this isn’t something for him to puff his chest out and act like a 3 yr. old. I wish this moron’s constituency could hear that he’d rather make everyone suffer just for bragging rights! Dumbass!
Send them all home. Next year reelect noone. in 2018 SEND THE REST HOME. it. may be mass confusion for some time but it beats organized crime.
All this discussion of a government shutdown is pure nonsense. If public and internal GOP polls show voters are against a shutdown, this is a real indictment on the accurate flow of information. The government, as a whole, never shuts down. These so-called shutdowns involve temporarily halting about 16 percent of government activities, all of which are classified as “non-essential.” The other 84 percent of government continues to operate in normal manner. Further, the relatively small numbers of employees who are affected by the shutdown are simply sent home for a free vacation. After their functions open up again, they get full backpay and benefits.
I’m wondering why we let the Associated Press and other media get away with perpetuating the myth about shutdowns. Also, the Democrats are obviously better at getting their side out and the Republicans are always “blamed,” but the fact is that these so-called shutdowns have never had an adverse effect on the Republicans during the following election cycle. In fact, it has been just the opposite. There is no rational reason for the GOP to fear a shutdown. None!