In a new story in the Panama City News Herald, Congressman Southerland is actually bragging about his vote to shut down the government, claiming that his disastrous shutdown “makes me acceptable to the majority of my district.”
“Only a Washington politician like Congressman Steve Southerland who has totally lost touch with North Florida would brag that his government shutdown was ‘acceptable,’” said David Bergstein of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “While Congressman Southerland was worried about keeping his taxpayer-funded gym open, his shutdown was shuttering VA facilities, hurting seniors and delivering a self-inflicted wound to North Florida’s economy. This is another clear example showing how Congressman Southerland’s dysfunctional politics represent everything North Floridians hate about Washington.”
See for yourself:
- Tallahassee Democrat: Southerland “Should Be Ashamed” Of Vote to Continue Shutdown. “But our representative in the House, Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, as well as our Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, voted against the legislation – and for continuing the standoff. They should be ashamed… Rep. Southerland put our nation’s economy and good standing in the international community at risk in order to fight those battles now. He did lead a House GOP conference meeting on Tuesday morning in singing “Amazing Grace.” That’s not the leadership we were looking for.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 10/17/13]
- Congressman Southerland’s Shutdown Closed Tyndall Air Force Base Commissary, Forcing Military Families to Pay More for Groceries. In October 2013, the commissary at Tyndall Air Force Base was forced to close due to the government shutdown, “forcing military families to pay higher food prices — and state and local taxes — at civilian food stores.” [WMBB, 10/02/13; LA Times, 10/06/13]
- Shutdown Forced VA to Close Regional Offices, Suspend Services and Programs. “All public access to the VA’s 56 regional offices was suspended Tuesday because of a lack of funds, the VA said […]The VA is also suspending services such as educational and vocational counseling and outreach programs, including those conducted at military facilities.” [Washington Post, 10/09/13]
- Congressman Southerland’s Shutdown Cost Taxpayers $24 Billion. “$24 billion. That’s according to an estimate from Standard & Poor’s. The financial services company said the shutdown, which ended with a deal late Wednesday night after 16 days, took $24 billion out of the U.S. economy, and reduced projected fourth-quarter GDP growth from 3 percent to 2.4 percent.” [Time, 10/17/13]
- Headline: “Shutdown Leaves Some Seniors Worried About Their Next Meal.” “You’ve no doubt heard of Senior Meals on Wheels preparing hot meals delivered to the elderly. But there’s a different meal program that’s been put on hold because of the partial government shutdown. It’s the USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program […] Distribution agencies in 40 states and two Native American reservations hand out the food packages.” NPR later reported that the USDA’s meals program for low-income seniors “stopped during the government shutdown.” [NPR, 10/11/13, 10/17/13]
- Southerland Defended Use of House Gym by Members of Congress during Government Shutdown. In 2013, Southerland defended the use of the taxpayer subsidized House gym by Members of Congress during the government shutdown. CNN reported: “Rep. Steve Southerland of Florida said that “for people to raise issues over the gym is somewhat petty,” although Southerland said he does not have a gym membership.” [CNN, 10/09/13]