Statements from The White House and The Senate regarding the GOP shutdown

[Tx4obama]

-snip-

UPDATE: 5:14 p.m. ET -- The White House weighed in later, similarly condemning the GOP effort:

Today Republicans in the House of Representatives moved to shut down the government. Congress has two jobs to do: pass budgets and pay the bills it has racked up. Republicans in Congress had the opportunity to pass a routine, simple continuing resolution that keeps the government running for a few more weeks. But instead, Republicans decided they would rather make an ideological point by demanding the sabotage of the health care law. Republicans have tried and failed to defund or delay the health care law more than 40 times, and they know this demand is reckless and irresponsible. The President has shown that he is willing to improve the health care law and meet Republicans more than halfway to deal with our fiscal challenges, but he will not do so under threats of a government shutdown that will hurt our economy. Any member of the Republican Party who votes for this bill is voting for a shutdown. It's time for the House to listen to the American people and act, as the Senate has, in a reasonable way to pass a bill that keeps the government running and move on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/28/government-shutdown-house_n_4008982.html

Below is a previous update / Statement from Senate Majority Leader Reid

UPDATE: Majority Leader Reid stood by his pledge to reject any changes in the health care law, releasing a statement later Saturday that called the House action pointless and futile:

Today’s vote by House Republicans is pointless. As I have said repeatedly, the Senate will reject any Republican attempt to force changes to the Affordable Care Act through a mandatory government funding bill or the debt ceiling. Furthermore, President Obama has stated that he would veto such measures if they ever reached his desk.

To be absolutely clear, the Senate will reject both the one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act and the repeal of the medical device tax. After weeks of futile political games from Republicans, we are still at square one: Republicans must decide whether to pass the Senate’s clean CR, or force a Republican government shutdown.

Senate Democrats have shown that we are willing to debate and vote on a wide range of issues, including efforts to improve the Affordable Care Act. We continue to be willing to debate these issues in a calm and rational atmosphere. But the American people will not be extorted by Tea Party anarchists.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/28/government-shutdown-house_n_4008982.html

p.s. Bolding above for emphasis is mine.

[Katashi_itto]

1. Declare them insurrectionists. Strip them of their office and Arrest them.

Declare economic emergency under the Patriot Act.

[Jester Messiah]

8. I like this idea. It has merit.

If they won't do their jobs, they should be removed.

[yuiyoshida]

14. What they are doing is blackmail and

Criminal. They have basically posted their demands and are holding the country hostage. Given a little bit of an advantage, and this is what happens when Teabaggers come to power. Its their way of saying, we will SHUT YOU DOWN unless you bend to our demands.

[davekriss]

15. That's not "blackmail", it is extortion

And it is illegal, treasonous.

[yuiyoshida]

17. Agreed!

Hello, FBI? I want to report a group of extortionists!

[ruffburr]

2. Sheeese makes me feel like-

My Open letter to the pres wasn't in vain after all But all kidding aside Obama is making me proud right now

[LittleBlue]

3. Let them try

This will end in tears for them, just like it did for Newt

[Blaukraut]

4. Is it too early to call the GOP in congress traitors?

What is the proper word for a group that deliberately seeks to destroy the government it swore to uphold?

[Snake Plissken]

6. Wouldn't the term traitor imply that they had a loyalty to the United States at one point in time?

Maybe I missed it, but when did the GOP put the interests of the United Sates above the special interests who purchased them?

rather than calling them traitors, I'd call them terrorists, because fear mongering and destroying this country are all they are interested in accomplishing

[calimary]

7. Nope!

[Jester Messiah]

9. Not at all.

Past due, I should think.

[Cha]

5. Thanks Tx..

Ben White ✔ @morningmoneyben

I love the idea that raising debt ceiling would be "caving" to Obama. Like saying paying for stuff you bought is "caving" to the cashier.3:22 AM - 28 Sep 2013 from Englewood, NJ, United States

282 Retweets 70 favorites Reply

http://theobamadiary.com/2013/09/28/rise-and-shine-625/

[Iliyah]

10. K & R

House GOPers are worthless. Instead of working for the American people they are waging war against them.

[Kingofalldems]

11. Teabaggers are traitors.

[Pantagruelsmember]

12. BO should announce

he's closing all airports, national parks and monuments, all securities markets, banks and anything else the Gv't regulates as of Tuesday morning. Let the GOP explain it to their business interests. People aren't believing the GOP intransigence has consequences, BO needs to highlight them.

[demwing]

13. Time for a new Boston Tea Party

where we dump a whole Congressional House full of Tea Baggers into the ocean.

[Voice for Peace]

20. I'm in.

[Coyotl]

16. It is time for Obama to take command of the political arena and show them his real power.

No more Mr. Nice Guy. Create a few immense National Monuments, sign a whole slew of Executive orders, shut down Keystone, etc. etc, etc. ....

and crush them in every way imaginable

[busterbrown]

18. Hate to say this...But the majority of House members who are shutting Govt. down

are not at all concerned about their political careers.. They have a an extremists violent view of govt. and are prepared to hunker down with their families, guns and gold in their back yard bunkers..for at long as it takes..


As a matter of fact they are turning this into a sort of a Revenge of the Confederacy..

[Turbineguy]

19. Maybe it's time Mr. Obama

took another look at the exta-ordinary powers the republicans gave GW Bush to deal with unusual events.