By BRENT MARTIN
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves lays the blame for the extended federal government shutdown directly on Senate Democrats.
“It’s a dangerous game that they’re playing,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “They’re playing chicken with people’s benefits, with people’s paychecks, they’re livelihoods, national security, you name it. You know, it’s funny, that Sen. Schumer voted 13 times for a clean CR, continuing resolution, under the Biden administration, now all of the sudden he’s decided he doesn’t want to.”
Graves, a Republican, is especially harsh on the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, for refusing to vote for an extension of current spending. Senate Democrats want Republicans to extend additional Affordable Care Act tax credits before agreeing to reopen the government. The shutdown soon will enter its second month.
Graves insists Democrats need to reopen the government for negotiations on the issue to begin. And Graves claims Democrats are being disingenuous when they insist ACA tax credits must be extended first.
“They had every opportunity when they had the majority and the presidency; they had every opportunity to make those permanent at the time and they didn’t do it. And now, all of the sudden, they want to do it,” Graves says. “But the bottom line is we need to pass a clean CR, get the government open, then we can negotiate these things.”
Some federal workers will not get paid; food stamps won’t be extended if the shutdown continues much longer.
Graves asserts negotiations over that main sticking point, extension of ACA tax credits, cannot begin until the government shutdown ends.
“I mean, this is so easy and it’s so ridiculous,” Graves says. “That’s what we do is negotiate spending bills. We have to get to the table to be able to do that and the only way to get to the table to do that is to keep the government open.”
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