Barrasso: Senate Democrats Have Officially Dragged Our Nation into a Schumer Shutdown

"Today, Senate Democrats face a clear choice. They can govern in the best interest of the American people or they can continue to grandstand for retweets and likes from their liberal base. Republicans are united in our commitment to reopen the government. How long that takes, and how costly it is, is entirely up to Senate Democrats."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor laying out the choice Democrats face after they voted last night for a Schumer Shutdown. Senator Barrasso noted that three Democrats voted last night with Republicans and urged more Democrats to join us to reopen the government.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso's remarks.

Sen. Barrasso's remarks as prepared:

"Senate Democrats have now officially dragged our nation into a Schumer Shutdown. This shutdown did not have to happen, and it certainly does not need to continue. Americans are overwhelmingly against the shutdown. New polling from the New York Times and Siena College proves it. Here is the key finding. Two in three Americans believe Democrats should not shut down the government even if they don't get their trillion-dollar ransom - which they won't. Only 47 percent of Democrats support a shutdown. That's not even a majority of Democrats. Senate Democrats are on the wrong side of Republicans, Independents, and even their own party.

"There is only one good option to reopen the government. That option is the bipartisan, clean continuing resolution that we will vote on this morning. The House already passed it with bipartisan support. President Trump is ready to sign it. Senate Republicans voted to pass it yesterday. All it takes to reopen the government is cooperation from just five more Senate Democrats. We picked up three Democrats last night. There are clearly cracks on their side and movement towards our side. That will continue. We are ready to vote for it again and again until Democrats agree to reopen the government for the American people. There is broad, bipartisan support to reopen the government. That is what the New York Times poll revealed. And it is what the vote last night revealed. If five more Democrats join us today, the shutdown is over.

"Remember, it takes 60 votes in the Senate to reopen the government. All we are asking for is to fund the government at current funding levels for the next seven weeks. Democrats supported these same funding levels before. Now, they claim those levels aren't good enough. Democrats demand $1.5 trillion in new spending just to reopen the government for four short weeks. That is $48 billion of new, far-left liberal spending each and every day in the Democrats' proposal. This is a direct attack on hard-working American taxpayers, who voted against wasteful Washington spending in November.

"Think back to previous continuing resolutions just like this one. Senate Democrats voted 13 times to pass clean, continuing resolutions when Joe Biden was President. The minimum number of votes they got was 65. When Joe Biden and Barack Obama were President, Democrats said shutdowns were dangerous, destructive, and desperate. Listen to their words.

"Senator Chuck Schumer said, 'Passing a clean CR… will avert a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown.' He also said, 'If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.' Yesterday, he voted to shut down the government.

"Senator Patty Murray of Washington is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. She said, 'A shutdown solves nothing, but hurts everyone.' Yesterday, she voted to shut down the government.

"Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said that a shutdown 'is the last resort for those who can't otherwise win their fights through elections [and] can't win their fights in Congress.' Yesterday, she voted to shut down the government.

"Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said, 'There is a time and a place to debate health care… but not when the funding of the federal government, and all the lives that are impacted by it, hang in the balance.' Yesterday, he voted to shut down the government.

"Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is a member of Senate Democrat leadership. She said, 'Shutdowns are not good for the economy.' Yesterday, she voted to shut down the government.

"Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said, 'I've seen the same thing over and over again. Shutdowns don't work… No one wins, but Americans have a lot to lose.' Yesterday, he voted to shut down the government.

"Those were Senate Democrats' words when a Democrat was in the White House. Yet last night, when it mattered, Democrats ignored their own warnings. Either their memories are short, or their principles are situational.

"The costs they described are now a reality. The Border Patrol agents are showing up to work without getting paid. The Border Patrol Union warns that the shutdown threatens their 'capacity to maintain the most secure border in our nation's history.' Veterans' healthcare will be impacted. Low-income families will lose vital benefits to help buy groceries.

"Republicans are committed to reopening the government with a clean, continuing resolution. That will allow us to finish the appropriations process the right way. When he was Majority Leader, Senator Schumer broke that process. Last year, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed 11 of 12 appropriation bills. Many were unanimous. Senator Schumer let each and every one of them die in the drawer of his desk. He shut down the appropriations process - and now he has shut down the government.

"Republicans are restoring the appropriations process. For the first time in four years, the Senate passed appropriations bills before August. Senator Susan Collins of Maine deserves special thanks for this achievement. Passing a clean CR will allow the Senate to finish our bipartisan work. The American people want their government reopened and working.

"Today, Senate Democrats face a clear choice. They can govern in the best interest of the American people or they can continue to grandstand for retweets and likes from their liberal base. Republicans are united in our commitment to reopen the government. How long that takes, and how costly it is, is entirely up to Senate Democrats. A bipartisan offer is in front of the Senate. It is time to pass it today and end this Schumer Shutdown."

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