House Republican: Senate is 'playing games'
Washington (CNN) – A high-ranking House Republican blasted Majority Leader Harry Reid for not calling the Senate back to Capitol Hill on Sunday as the government teeters on the edge of a possible shutdown.
The Republican-controlled House tossed another bill back to the Senate around midnight to avert a shutdown but chisel away at Obamacare. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state said Sunday the country's fate now rests in the Senate's hands.
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"We were there almost till midnight last night, working on the bill, passing the bill, got even some Democrat support in the House, and yet the Senate won't even come back today," McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House GOP conference, said on CNN's "State of the Union."
"They're the ones playing games," she continued. "They need to act. They're the ones that are truly threatening a government shutdown by not being here and acting."
It's a line Republicans have used all week as they've tried to derail the president's signature health care law through a spending bill that must pass by the end of Monday, the last day of the fiscal year. Fueled by conservative members in the House, Republicans argue they're passing legislation that keeps the government afloat and that it's the Democrats who are refusing to act.
Pointing the finger back, Democrats say they're not budging because Republicans are attaching legislation against Obamacare that has no chance of going anywhere in the Senate or being signed by President Barack Obama. On Saturday, Republicans added two amendments that would delay Obamacare for a year and repeal its tax on medical devices.
Reid made it abundantly clear Saturday that the revised bill would go nowhere in the upper chamber, declaring that "the American people will not be extorted by tea party anarchists."
In addition, Obama has already issued a veto threat.
Pressed Sunday by CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley on whether Republicans are prepared to accept blame for a government shutdown, McMorris Rodgers continued to argue the Senate will ultimately be held responsible.
She said the "American people are panicked" and the "wheels are falling off" in the Obamacare rollout, which begins Tuesday, when people can start to enroll for health insurance through the exchanges. She pointed to instances when the Obama administration has had to delay certain provisions of the law, including the employer mandate for large businesses and the small-business online enrollment.
"The Senate needs to act. They should act quickly. They should be in today. This is unacceptable that Sen. Harry Reid said 'We're not even going to come back today,'" she said.
- CNN's Jason Seher contributed to this report.
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
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J'Cincinnati'Redd
Obama, and the senate will not give in even a little. that says alot about Obama's leadership. we should have never let the shut down get this close.It's time we Republicans take a stand.
If we had elected McCain in 2008 we would be in WWIII. The government such as it is would be in free fall. If we had elected Romney in 2012 we would be in WWIII. The government such as it is would be in free fall to the point of no return. As it is, we still have a chance of avoiding WWIII and continuing to improve our economy. Let us see how the Republicans chose to play this political game out. Lately they've been looking awfully incompetent. There is always room for improvement, even if you do have an (R) next to your name. Shutting down the government is rather extreme, don't you think? I hope your leadership isn't as incompetent as they are coming across as being. The very survival of millions of Americans depends on what the GOP chooses to do in the next two weeks. Obamacare isn't mainstreet America's ONLY concern you understand. The give and take you speak of is either Obama agrees to defund a program that has yet to be fully implemented or the GOP throws everyone under the bus. Including their wealthy donors.
The Tea Trolls have rallied their vaccuous base......All you hear is; Repeal, Repeal, vote 42 times to repeal with no alternative. I'll say this again and again, the stupidest most ignorant people would have said to Thomas Edison or the Wright Brothers, "it will never work" because they have nothing, zero, zilch, to add to the discussion. The unfortnate thing is the non-thinkers (Tea Trolls) are speaking the loudest right now. Since when did this country become dominated by the "...We Can't Do it" goofballs?
The GOP-Tea partiers fervor to kill Obamacare has little to do with public concerns. They are surrogates of the pharmas, insurance companies and hospitals who have been scamming over trillion dollars out of our economy for the last fifty years under the current health care. They are funding these legislatures who are blatantly working in the interest of the few against the interest of the majority.
Rodgers and her tea extreme knew the clear terms upfront but still irresponsibly chose to play games and shut down our government.
Shameful sabotage of our economy, Rodgers...own it
High racking teatard? Where is the rock they pulled her out from under?
NO, the senate nor the democrats will be responsible for a shutdown. 56% of Americans and I am sure most of those 26 million texans what's his face, the Canadian, keeps talking about will also blame the rethugs.
Ms. McMorris Rodgers,
I have yet to see you do anything but demand your own way.
Gotta love the spin these Republicans put on THEIR inability to govern. We will remember at the voting booth in 2014.
Obama NEVER, EVER, compromises on anything, until he has at least exhausted every other possibility. 90% of the time, the GOP caves and capitulates.
"The American people will not be extorted by T-party anarchists!" Bravo, Harry Reid for calling it like it is!!
Obama and Reid have drawn a "red line" demanding that republicans obey their dictates. They refuse to even discuss any republican concerns about obamacare. According to the left, this makes republicans "terrorists".
This, boys and girls, is why progressives should never hold public office. It's like giving a 6 year old the keys to the family car.
The Republicans making a stand means doing nothing ?
I love how Issa said yesterday , he wants the American people to have the same medical coverage he and the President have .
OK , when did he decide that , yesterday ?
Democrats are playing games???? our side isn't the one passing bills with no chance of winning and playing chicken with the economy. our side isn't the one beating the dead horse of defeating Obamacare. you lost! get over it!!! sound familiar??? put your hate and greed aside and do what's right for the country, not what's just politically popular with the nutburger fringe!
President Obama and Harry Reid no that you cannot negotiate with terrorists – it just encourages a repeat of the bad behavior. The Republicans have a choice, fund the government or shut it down. No face saving deals to be made, not after 6 years of obstruction.
no surprise lack of common courtesy toward human people who put their complete trust in their GOVERMENT
Why do Democrats resort to vile name calling and why doesn't the media call them out on it. The President touts civility when to make appoint then in then next breathe screams out vile names as if he's in campaign mode. It appears the polls show the Healthcare law as very unpopular with the majority of Americans. This new Republican proposal is the Democrats saving grace, otherwise this thing will sink this country faster than a lead balloon.
"Keep Fear ALive
I asked a question yesterday that nobody seems comfortable asking.. and that simply is ..... please name the last WHITE president that had to go through these REPUBLICAN (or Democratic ) man-made economic catastrophies .... it's interesting that repuboicans are INCAPABLE of writing legislation unless it's carving someone out of the American experience..."
*Ding ding ding*
I'd say Clinton (but he was referred to as a "Black" President also...)
I wonder what the Republicans would do if the Democrats gave them the 1 year delay on AHCA, BUT attached a "Gun Background Check" or stricter gun measures to the Bill....
Theyd probably STILL renegotiate like they did with the last debt ceiling talks...
You Republicans have failed the American people tremendously already. You have no alternative plans for the citizens, the only thing you care about is getting rid of President Obama. Your parties platform doomed you to lose that election and we still have resident Obama. You lack of any ideas to help the American people, will more than likely lose the next election as well. The President has negotiated and tried to compromise, it is the Republicans that have not budged from their stance of 5 years now, They find the Tea Party pledge more important than their pledge to the American people.
Republicans have been punking Facebook with their "are you embarrassed by your Obama bumper sticker yet?".
Well, ummm, no. Are you guys feeling stupid about creating the TEA Party yet?
I wish that CNN's comentators would not pretend that the government shutdown has equal responsibility between Republicans and Democrats. IT DOES NOT. It has been clearly the small group of Republican House members (Tea Party) who oppose the Affordable Care Act. The ACA has already been delayed by allowing businesses to delay one year until they come on board. People are losing track of the purpose of the ACA which is to provide health insurance for millions of Americans.
Blame Obama? No. This is ALL on the GOP. They're trying to extort concessions that are unprecedented and have no chance of passing. They're the minority party in power even with a majority in the House. If there's a shutdown, thank Boehner. They know they're screwed if Obamacare becomes law. They wouldn't be fighting for dear life if they didn't know the writing was on the wall. If Obamacare was so bad, they'd let it roll and take the Senate in the 2014 mid terms. That is why they are fighting so hard to keep it from coming.
The problem is that members of the GOP in the House are being twisted by the teapublicans that don't feel that they need to compromise. That is a major problem. Don't take some major accomplishment from someone over something like a CR that should be clean.
"Playing games" is the HOR passing the same bill 42 times, knowing that it will not be passed by the Senate. On another note, I have never heard of this "high ranking" GOP congresswoman, Rep. McMorris Rodgers. I'm guessing very few people outside of WA know of her either.
It's time for the Senate to give the people what they want NO OBAMA CARE. The Republicans are listening to the people, why is the Senate refusing to. Democrats never did give a hoot about the people, only their own interests.
I can see bonher now sitting in a chair a song playing in the back of his mind (slip sliding away) wondering where it all went wrong enjoy that office it wont be yours after the next election show a back bone and remind your party that thay work for the American PEOPLE NOT THE TEA PARTY