Sen. McCain, others respond to US government shutdown
Jan 20, 2018, 11:25 AM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:26 pm
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
PHOENIX — With the U.S. government officially shut down as of midnight on Friday, many politicians — from both sides of the aisle — reacted to the closure.
U.S. Sen. John McCain took to Twitter Saturday showing his displeasure with the stalemate. Others chimed in as well directly following the vote.
The #shutdown is a direct result of the breakdown of cooperation in Congress. Shamefully, no one will incur more harm from this failure than our men & women in uniform. https://t.co/9Yy2BNVLoH
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) January 20, 2018
“As Republicans and Democrats run to cable news to point fingers and assign blame, the hard reality is that all of us share responsibility for this failure,” McCain said in a statement. “For years, under both a Republican and Democrat-controlled Congress and White House, partisanship has taken precedent over national security. Political gamesmanship, an unwillingness to compromise, and a lack of resolve on both sides have led us to this point. Shamefully, no one will incur more harm than our brave men and women who have volunteered to fight and die for our freedom.
“It’s time that both sides put politics aside, come to the table, and compromise on an agreement that will give our service members the training, equipment and resources they need to succeed.”
After months of prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy and holding the #Dreamers and CHIP hostage, Trump and his congressional Republican enablers have shut down the government. Responsibility rests with them. #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/niM5fpS5Bh
— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) January 20, 2018
#ShumerShutdown. You can thank the Democrats for that.
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) January 20, 2018
Other politicians from around the country also let their voices be heard on the situation.
I know it looks like a mess —- but there are many senators of good will who want to solve the problem. I appreciate Sens. Portman, Whitehouse, Coons, Alexander, Collins, Murkowski and others' commitment to hard work and finding solutions last night.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 20, 2018
I'm very disappointed that the Republicans chose to shut down the government. Leader McConnell insisted on going forward with a doomed vote rather than negotiating a serious agreement with the Democrats and Republicans who opposed him.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 20, 2018
The federal government is needlessly shut down this morning because of Senate Democrats. They need to stop this reckless game and vote for the bill to keep government open, pay our troops, and fund children’s health care.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) January 20, 2018
Trump and Republicans refused to negotiate w Democrats, wrote a terrible bill, and now own this shutdown. Trump rooted for a shutdown, and now he got what he wanted. Bad night.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 20, 2018
I’ve never seen such a flawed negotiation. No one is in charge. Speaker concerned about his right flank, Senate R’s waiting for POTUS, POTUS changes from moment to moment. No one is sure if they have leverage or are over a barrel. It’s as bad as it looks.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 20, 2018
There should be no question over who is to blame for this government shutdown. Republicans control the White House, the Senate & the House. The American people deserve representatives that work for them, not ideology. #TrumpShutdown
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) January 20, 2018
This shutdown was avoidable. The WH created this crisis & the GOP leaders in Congress refused to negotiate with Democrats. We must pass a bipartisan solution to fund the government, guarantee health care for millions of kids & protect Dreamers. Americans expect & deserve it.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 20, 2018
President Donald Trump added in his two cents on the matter, saying there needs to be more Republican wins in 2018 so they can have more bodies in the Senate.
For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
