Sen. Harry Reid slammed John Boehner and warned him that the Senate is not going to be extorted. He told Boehner to get some courage and pass the Senate bill, or the government will shutdown.
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Reid said,
The bill we just passed. The bill would pass the House overwhelmingly if the Speaker had the courage to bring it to the floor and let 435 members of the House of Representatives vote. I think they should think very carefully this weekend about their next step. Any bill that continues to play political games would force a government shutdown. They need to accept what we just passed. To be absolutely clear, we are going to accept nothing as it relates to Obamacare. There’s a time and place for everything, and this is not that time or place.
….
We’re not going to be extorted. The country’s not going to be extorted. We’re not going to negotiate with a gun to our heads. We are not going to allow the Republicans to say give us what we want or the economy is going to close. Think about that. It’s no way to govern, and it has to end.
On the Senate floor the Sen. Reid warned House Republicans that the clock is ticking, “I want everyone to listen and to hear: The United States Senate has acted. This is the only legislation that can avert a government shutdown, and that time is ticking as we speak.”
Ted Cruz’s scheme was designed to fracture the Democrats by applying pressure to red state Democrats who are up for reelection next year. His plan has failed miserably. Democrats are standing together, so Cruz has moved on to leading a House rebellion against Boehner. Meanwhile, Reid is letting the Speaker know that he has one way out of this. He needs to allow a vote on the Senate bill. If Boehner allows a vote on Senate bill, it will definitely pass.
Democrats aren’t going to help Boehner.
He is going to have to bring the Senate bill up for a vote all on his own. The only way Boehner gets out of this mess is to stand up to tea party extremists by allow by allowing the House vote on the Senate bill. If he refuses to do this, the government will shutdown. The economic and political fallout will be on the Republicans, and their House majority may be in jeopardy.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
