Scalise: Democrats Keep Government Shut Down to Appease Far-Left Base

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox Business Network's Mornings with Mariato discuss the Democrat shutdown and Senate Democrats' refusal to reopen the government and end the pain they've inflicted on the American people. Additionally, Leader Scalise praised President Trump's success in securing peace through strength in the Middle East and fulfilling his promise to bring the hostages home.

Click hereor the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.

Excerpts from Leader Scalise's interview:

On Chuck Schumer holding Americans hostage over partisan politics:

"What a twisted measuring stick Chuck Schumer has that he's doing better when American people are suffering. And think about who those American people are who are suffering during Chuck Schumer's government shutdown. It's our men and women in uniform, our military men and women. It's TSA agents. It's any federal workers that are missing their paychecks because Chuck Schumer decided to have a tantrum to appease his far-left radical base.That's what this shutdown is all about. It's why seven times Schumer has voted against a bill just to keep government funded at current levels. Chuck Schumer has voted for those same levels himself before as recently as March.He's trying to be concerned about AOC beating him in a primary. He's less concerned about the harm he's inflicting on American people. If you think a good day for you is only when there is a bad day for millions of American families, maybe you've lost your way."

On Democrats' far-left base picking a fight with President Trump:

"Well, I think when five more Senate Democrats come to their senses, Maria, you've got three, only three Senate Democrats. 99% of House Republicans voted to pass the bill out of the House. It passed. 99% of Democrats voted to shut the government down in the House.It's over in the Senate. All we need is five more Democrats to join with Republicans, and the bill goes to President Trump's desk and is signed, and this shutdown ends.We still have big differences, by the way. Big, big differences that we can negotiate between now and November 21st. It's only a short-term bill initially, but Chuck Schumer is blocking even that because he just wants to show the most radical elements of the Democrat Party that are about to elect a socialist in New York that he's fighting Donald Trump because they are still upset with the results of the election from last year.Donald Trump won the presidency to get this country back on track, and he's doing that. You could see all the things around the world, including peace in the Middle East, for goodness' sake. Trump is doing his job, I wish Chuck Schumer was doing his."

On the need for Senate Democrats to reopen the government to allow troops to be paid:

"Well, it's a shame, though, that we're at this point. We passed a bill weeks ago, over three weeks ago in the House, that would have paid our military troops, and 99% of Democrats voted 'no.'Some of those Democrats are having buyer's remorse. Many of them who voted against paying our troops are now begging Speaker Johnson to come back and try to get a do-over. The problem is that bill is now in the Senate, and it's Senate Democrats who are blocking troop pay and pay for everybody else.All they need to do, five Democrats need to come to their senses and even go around Chuck Schumer. You've got a lot of these Democrats that are up on the ballot next year in states like Georgia and other states that are not far-left, radical New York type states. I hope they come to their senses, but troop pay is at stake. So many other things are at stake, including our national security if Democrats continue to keep the government shut down just because Chuck Schumer wants to have a tantrum and try to protect his political future in the state of New York, which is in peril regardless of this."

On President Trump achieving peace through strength in the Middle East:

"Maria, this is nothing short of just an amazing accomplishment of many that President Trump has achieved. President Trump is the peace President.He's proven, once again, that he can bring very different sides together. Bringing Palestinians and Israelis together after we're marking the two-year anniversary of Hamas' invasion of Israel, where they murdered, brutally murdered, and took hostages in Israel, still holding some of those hostages. Sadly, we know that some of those hostages may not still be alive, but those families want closure. Those families want to hopefully see their loved ones return alive, but even if they're not, they need that closure. President Trump has achieved it. He vowed from day one he would get the hostages returned, and he's worked relentlessly to get to this day.It's why you have people, even on the left, saying that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. I mean, if Nobel wants to restore what used to be a once dignified prize, they can restore their credibility by awarding President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize. He's earned it. He's done more than any leader in the world in years to bring peace throughout the world, especially in the Middle East."

On President Trump deserving a Nobel Peace Prize:

"They gave it to Barack Obama for just getting elected President. There was no achievement there. Prime Minister Netanyahu has nominated him. My colleague Claudia Tenney has formally gone through the process to nominate President Trump. There's a formal nomination in. The bottom line is, what should the criteria be to earn it? Nobody's done more in decades to bring peace to the world than Donald Trump.If they want to restore credibility to that prize, he really has earned it and he should get it."