Posted on 10/01/2013 9:04:14 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
WASHINGTON — Federal employee unions and members of Congress from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia – all Democrats – denounced House Republicans and lamented the financial pain of federal employees caused by the government shutdown during a press conference outside the Capitol Tuesday afternoon.
In a political game of chicken, congressional Republicans sought this week to pass a spending bill that also defunded the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Because Democrats refused to budge and Republicans held fast on the legislation to defund Obamacare — parts of which went into effect Tuesday — nearly 800,000 federal employees were furloughed from work.
“We’re here because we’re concerned about the operation of the United States government,” said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Mitchellville. “We represent a lot of federal employees” in our districts.
Hoyer called Republicans “irrational” and “unreasonable” and said that if members of Congress were a board of directors in a public corporation, “stockholders would fire us.”
In addition to Hoyer, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore; Rep. John Delaney, D-Potomac; Democratic D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., were surrounded by members from several unions carrying signs that read “We Want To Work!”
“Many see this is as a beltway issue” which is not true, said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union. “Eighty percent (of federal employees) work outside the beltway.”
Polling conducted by Quinnipiac University last week shows that although Americans are ambivalent about Obamacare, three-fourths disapprove of using a government shutdown as political leverage.
“Republicans have dug themselves a hole,” Cummings said.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Cockeysville, Maryland’s lone Republican member of Congress, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The voicemail in his Washington office had a message saying: “In case of a lapse of appropriated funds…normal operations of the United States government would be suspended until funding is restored...we may not be able to answer the phone.”
Harris released a statement Monday saying he’d vote in favor of a resolution which would delay an individual mandate to purchase an Obamacare health insurance package.
Octavia Hall, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1401 at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility in southern Maryland, showed up to work Tuesday, opened a letter, and read that she wasn’t needed.
“To be honest, they always threaten to do something like this. We were kind of in disbelief,” Hall said. Hall, who lives in Hoyer’s district in Waldorf and has worked for the federal government for 20 years, lives paycheck to paycheck.
“That means I have no savings account. Nothing set aside,” she said. “It really hit in reality. It changed the way I think about life and how I spend my money and how I need to save more.”
Including Tuesday, Hall has been furloughed seven days this year. She plans to look for a second job to offset the costs and says her co-workers are in similar situations.
According to the Quinnipiac University poll, 58 percent of Americans blame both parties for the gridlock in Washington. Twenty-eight percent blame Republicans and 10 percent blame Democrats.
“I think everybody played a part in this,” Hall said. “We’re just like pawns.”
Since Republicans are not responsible, their statement makes no sense.
“Maryland delegation denounces Republicans over government shutdown”
OH MY GOD! I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, I am amazed beyond belief that self serving Cr*ptards, I mean Demomaniacs would try to shift the blame for their refusal to even talk with with Congressional leadership to the Republicans.
Denounce unions and dims. They’re irrational and want to smother us with a bloated government.
Hall, who lives in Hoyer’s district in Waldorf and has worked for the federal government for 20 years, lives paycheck to paycheck.
“That means I have no savings account. Nothing set aside,” she said. “It really hit in reality. It changed the way I think about life and how I spend my money and how I need to save more.”
Well no shit Octavia twenty years on the federal tit and
you don’t have nothing? Sounds like a personel problem
to me. Maybe you should take it up with the chaplin.
If you consider the IQ of the Maryland Democrats in Congress, you might find that it is collectively less than that of one Maryland “channel buster” Blue Crab.
And remember. Crabs are bottom-dwelling scavengers, which makes Maryland Democrats -—. Coin a new term yourself.
I’ll start:
Maryland Democrats are lower than crab crap!
Dude.
Dats da way dey roll in Waldorf.
Waldorf be turnin into da hood.
It makes sense that Virginia and Maryland are whining today. Those two states are the biggest beneficiaries of federal government contracts and the goodies they provide. C’mon folks what do you really expect from this bunch of moochers. They’re all showing their true colors today with all of their complaining about their “gravy train” being put on hold.
I would wear being “denounced” by those fairies from Merryland as a badge of honor.
“carrying signs that read “We Want To Work!”
That’ll be a first for them.
We do.
The more they hate us, the happier we are.
:)
Shocker!
Done turned holmes. Holla!
Nail on head. Those two states are simply vampire states. Virginia and Maryland are the homeland of the six figure welfare recipient, the so called non-essential government worker.
The Maryland Congressional Delegation: a shining embarrassment for the whole country to see.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
I hate this state.
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