Posted on 09/18/2013 6:34:19 AM PDT by cotton1706
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday declined to take sides in the squabble among House Republicans over a government shutdown.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has tried to convince his colleagues to support legislation that would keep the government open after Oct. 1 while forcing the Senate to vote on defunding ObamaCare.
That approach was dismissed by the right wing of his conference, and now 70 House conservatives are supporting an effort to tie a one-year defunding of ObamaCare to the government funding resolution.
McConnell, who crafted deals to end the 2011 debt-ceiling standoff and the 2012 fight over the "fiscal cliff," said it's up to the House to find a path forward.
“One thing all Republicans agree on is that we think ObamaCare was the worst piece of legislation in the last 50 years. …The question at this point is what the House will send us,” he told reporters. “It’s up to them. We will react to what they send us. And we’ll be happy to vote on it at that point.”
McConnell made clear that he supports Boehner’s call to attach spending cuts to the debt ceiling increase that will be needed by mid-October.
“I would be stunned if we raised the debt ceiling and didn’t do something about the debt. That’s the view of virtually every Republican,” he said.
He said that Obama has only shown a willingness to reduce the deficit when forced to by GOP leverage.
“The request to raise the debt ceiling is one of those opportunities,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday dared the GOP to allow the U.S. to default on its payment obligations.
“If the Republicans think that it’s good for the country to not pay our bills and risk the full faith and credit, then that’s what they’ll have to do. We are not negotiating over the debt ceiling,” he said. "We are not going to have them hold the CR or the debt ceiling hostage to ObamaCare.”
Reid said the Senate would not act on the shutdown crisis until the House does.
More of a limp ankled soccer kick than a punt.
Indicative of what passes as a “leader” these days: Pathetic, feeble, gutless, marble-mouthed pansy. Absolutely worthless.
McCoward!
McConnell was AWOL on Benghazi, Syria and now defunding Obamacare.
The post turd-le is up for re-election. CYA mode.
The longer they delay dealing with Obamacare the more likely it will be with us forever.
And the GOPe knows it.
McConnell not selling out Constitutional conservatives is progress. It’s better than abetting Boehner.
Sadly, “McConnellCare” doesn’t have the same ring as “BonerCare”.
mcconnell is too busy looking for a chin to do anything helpful.
Just wait.
He’ll sellout soon.
As I read the ‘government shutdown’ articles, I have come to the mind that it may be the best way to bring this corrupt government to its knees, reduce it to the ash heap of history and start over from the ground up. I am at the point where I want to see what the spendthrifts will/can do in Washington when our money is no longer available to them? Let them howl, I am ready to call their hand, I am ready, willing, and able to survive without them in my life.
Dump Mitchie.
Hopefully he is soooo primaried.
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