Tag: shutdown

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GOP keeps saying Dems won’t negotiate on budget during government shutdown?

House GOP contends Democrats won't sit down and negotiate when Republicans have blocked efforts to do so 19 times

The House GOP keeps repeating that the Senate Democrats won’t sit down and negotiate, also known as meeting to “conference” on the differences between the budgets passed in the Senate and the House.

But the facts are rather inconvenient for Republicans. Nineteen times Senate Democrats asked to conference. Nineteen times Senate Republicans blocked the procedure. Check out the list below via National Journal:

1. 4/23 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.

2. 5/6 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

3. 5/7 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

4. 5/8 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

5. 5/9 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

6. 5/14 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

7. 5/15 Senator Wyden asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

8. 5/16 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

9. 5/21 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Paul blocked.

10. 5/22 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

11. 5/23 Senator McCaskill asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

12. 6/4 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

13. 6/12 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

14. 6/19 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Toomey blocked.

15. 6/26 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

16. 7/11 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

17. 7/17 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Mike Lee blocked.

18. 8/1 Senator Durbin requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

19. 10/2 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.

So, every time you hear Republicans repeat over and over again that Democrats “won’t sit down to negotiate” – remember this.

And why did they use this strategy? Because the threat of shutting down the government was their last viable option to stopping Obamacare.

And it didn’t work, and now they have no exit strategy.

And there you have it.

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Congressional gym deemed “essential” by Boehner during government shutdown

Even the right-wing site Drudge Report is mad at this one.

We may have to cut nutritional support for poor kids, but I guess House Speaker Boehner felt Rep. Paul Ryan needed his workout, so the Congressional gym is deemed “essential” to stay open during the government shutdown….

A House aide confirmed to ThinkProgress that the House member’s gym is open. The House gym features a swimming pool, basketball courts, paddleball courts, a sauna, a steam room and flat screen TVs. While towel service is unavailable, taxpayers remain on the hook for cleaning and maintenance, which has been performed daily throughout the shutdown. There are also costs associated with the power required to heat the pools and keep the lights on.

According to the aide, the decision to keep the gym open — even while other critical government services were shelved — came directly from Speaker Boehner’s office. Meanwhile, the staff gym available to Congressional staff has been closed.

(via Think Progress)

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Jon Stewart of The Daily Show – “Shutstorm 2013”

 

From Mediaite: For the third night in a row, Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show with coverage of “Shutstorm 2013″ and this time his rage was aimed squarely at “Bullshit Mountain,” AKA Fox News.

He noticed that the hosts over at Fox seem to have realized that “this shutdown ain’t looking so hot for one particular political party.”

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Michele Bachmann says she didn’t want government shutdown after she did

If it doesn’t make your ears bleed…

Rep. Michele Bachmann on CNN says she never said GOP wanted government shut down, even after her own words are quoted back to her.

You know the GOP is splinted when Bachmann is getting back on TV. Clearly no one’s watching the inmates back at the asylum.

(via Mediaite)

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National Weather Service – “Please pay us”

As Tropical Storm Karen makes it’s way towards the US coastal area, over 4,000 “essential” workers at the National Weather Service have been kept on duty but won’t be paid until the government shutdown is over.

A little subliminal messaging here by the National Weather Service? Check the red circled letters…

(source)