Lawmakers Trade Barbs, Jeers in Shutdown Debate
There were boos, cheers, jeers and repeated pounds of the gavel.
Democrats insisted that Republicans had created nothing but a one-way road to a government shutdown. One lawmaker — David Scott of Georgia — accused the GOP of “hate” for President Barack Obama. Another — Sandy Levin of Michigan — declared that the House had become “thoroughly radicalized.”
Republicans responded in kind, with numerous verbal assaults on Obamacare and jabs at the president. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) used a favorite GOP talking point in recent days, wondering out loud why Obama would engage with Iran but not congressional Republicans.
A full political theater was on display in the late hours of Saturday night, as a bitterly partisan battle over funding the government and the health care law unfolded only a matter of hours before a potential shutdown of federal operations on Tuesday.
It’s doubtful that significant numbers of Americans were tuned into C-Span for a debate that coincided with the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” But for those who were, lawmakers from both side of the aisle made sure viewers got a show.
“Your hate for this president is coming before the love of this country,” Scott, the Georgia Democrat, declared.
“The president will talk to the dictator of Tehran but won’t negotiate with a House of Representatives with a majority elected by our constituents to do everything in our power to delay, defund or stop Obamacare,” Culberson scoffed.
The conclusion was essentially foregone long before the first lawmaker stood up to deliver remarks on the House floor. Democrats would lend their support to pass a military pay bill, but not before they got up to whack Republicans over the looming shutdown.
Repeatedly, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), who was presiding over the chamber, tapped his gavel to remind lawmakers to direct comments to the chair, not directly to others.
But that didn’t stop the attacks from coming.
“If we don’t send an exact bill back to the Senate, not a colon, not a semicolon, not a paragraph, not a word different, the government will shut down,” warned Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.).
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel brought up the Road Runner, an old Looney Tunes cartoon character, to accuse Republicans of pushing the economy off a cliff. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said of tea party-backed lawmakers: They “came here not as public servants, but to destroy and decimate our government.”
Republicans rolled up their sleeves and threw some punches, too.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) blasted Obama for not negotiating about Obamacare with Republicans.
“We have Democrats in this town who say we’ll be flexible with Putin,” Gohmert said, referring to the Russian president. “We’ll be flexible and sit down and talk with Iran even though they want to destroy our way of life, but Republicans, oh no we won’t sit down and talk with them.”
He added, “Have as much flexibility with the Republicans as you do with the Russians and the Iranians.”
In these late hours, some lawmakers inevitably tripped up on their facts. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) claimed that the debate before the House on Saturday was over the “full faith and credit” of the United States — referring to the debt ceiling battle. (It was not.) And Culberson said Obama had spoken with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “today” (on Friday, actually).
And in the waning moments of the debate, members started to get snarky.
After he had heard one Democrat after another accuse his fellow Republicans of shuttering the federal government’s doors, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (Ky.) had enough — and he got punchy.
“Well pardon me, I thought we were voting on a continuing resolution,” Rogers quipped, to laughter from the floor. “What do you think a continuing resolution is? It’s to continue the government.”
Earlier in the evening, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) declined to speak with reporters, citing a hoarse throat. It turns out she was saving what was left of her voice for a short yet fiery speech on the floor.
“I want it to be known,” Edwards exclaimed, her voice breaking. “The Senate won’t take it up. The president won’t sign it. House Republicans are shutting down the government.”
Republicans responded with a round of loud boos.
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