The government runs out of funding in just 21 days and Congress is scheduled to work just eight of them. Even as House Republicans claim to be avoiding a shutdown, Speaker Ted Cruz is making new threats over immigration and punting Republicans’ next shutdown fight until March 1. Time and again, Cruz has dictated the legislative strategy for House Republicans, and he is yet again creating uncertainty with his latest demands.
At this time last year, House Republicans were also saying we should take them at their word that they would keep the government open.
Today’s reminder of broken promises come from Congressman Hal Rogers and Congressman Phil Roe:
- Rep. Hal Rogers: “I don’t want to see a shutdown of the government. And I don’t think anyone believes the president would sign a bill that defunds Obamacare under that kind of scenario.” [Politico, 9/10/13]
- Rep. Phil Roe: “Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), who rarely misses an opportunity to criticize the health care law, told constituents back home in August that defunding the health law through appropriations bills is ‘nigh on impossible’ to carry out. ‘He supports defunding Obamacare but doesn’t believe a government shutdown is an effective way to do it,’ Roe spokeswoman Tiffany McGuffee told POLITICO.” [Politico, 9/10/13]
Previous broken promises:
- Speaker John Boehner: “On the budget front, Boehner says he wants no government shutdown or default on the debt.” [Associated Press, 9/09/13]
- Rep. Tom Rooney: “And some Republicans eager to repeal the health care law, including Radel and Rooney, said they won’t adopt such a hard line because it would likely lead to a government shutdown.” [News-Press, 9/09/13]
- Rep. Sean Duffy: “‘I believe strongly that Obamacare needs to be defunded and replaced with health care reforms that will actually work for the American people,’ Duffy said in a statement. ‘I have supported many measures, including introducing my own legislation, that will do just that.’ Still, Duffy indicated he does not believe forcing a government shutdown is the right tactic.” [Leader-Telegram, 9/08/13]
- Rep. Lou Barletta: “But Barletta says de-funding is not the way to go. He says there are too many parts of Obamacare that are mandated and will get funding even if the government is shut down. ‘I’m not willing to risk veterans not getting paid and all of the things that will come with shutting the government down for something that won’t accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish,’ Barletta said.” [ABC 27, 9/05/13]
- Rep. David McKinley: “No one wants a continuing resolution, but we can’t afford to have government shut down,” he said. “I don’t expect we’ll get to that point.” [West Virginia Illustrated, 9/05/13]
- Rep. Charles Boustany: “He said Republicans will have to toe a fine line over the next month, however, or be blamed for a government shutdown. Congress has not approved necessary spending bills to keep the government funded beyond Sept. 30 […] ‘I don’t think that’s a smart fight to have at the end of this month,’ he said, adding when Republicans were blamed for a government shutdown in the 1990s, they lost seats.” [Daily Iberian, 9/04/14]
- Rep. Tom Cole: “Cole said he voted against Obamacare and voted 40 times to repeal, reduce or delay it. But he does not want to shut the government down over the issue. ‘I don’t think it would work first of all,’ Cole said. ‘It would also hurt a lot of good people.’” [Oklahoman, 9/03/13]
- Rep. Mark Meadows: “Leadership has a concern, as do I—they don’t want side effects that would hurt people, and a government shutdown could do that.” [Weekly Standard, 9/02/13]
- Rep. Glenn Thompson: “U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, a former health-care executive, has made it clear that he is no fan of the Affordable Care Act. But Thompson does not think that shutting down the government, or denying funding for the law to halt its implementation, is the way to go.” [Erie Times-News, 9/01/13]
- Rep. Steve Womack: “Rep. Steve Womack, who represents Republican-heavy northwest Arkansas, has also warned colleagues of the political fallout they’d likely suffer over a standoff that he says would certainly trigger a government shutdown. Womack, who was elected in 2010, noted the backlash the GOP faced over partial shutdowns in 1995 and 1996. ‘To me, the risks are not worth the gamble, the gamble being that we somehow cause the Senate to have this epiphany and the president to have this epiphany,’ Womack said.” [Associated Press, 9/01/13]
- Rep. Larry Bucshon: “Am I in favor of a government shutdown? Absolutely not.” [Tribune Star, 9/01/13]
- Rep. Rodney Davis: “At a Springfield appearance last week, Davis said a shutdown would go against his reason for seeking office. ‘I came to Congress to govern,’ he said.” [State Journal-Register, 8/29/13]
- Rep. Steve Scalise: “Scalise says he doesn’t want to see government shut down.” [The Advocate, 8/28/13]
- Rep. Tom Latham: “I am certainly not for any kind of government shutdown for any reason.” [Des Moines Register, 8/28/13]
- Rep. Martha Roby: “She said she supports the defunding of the Affordable Care Act, but doesn’t believe Republicans should shut down the government in their attempt to repeal the law. ‘I am not for it (shutdown).’” [Dothan Eagle, 8/27/13]