Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a message to Kevin McCarthy that he is all alone on the government shutdown.
McConnell said, “We can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy. These important discussions cannot progress if Congress simply fails to complete our work on the standard short-term funding. The basic functions of government end up being taken hostage.”
Video of McConnell:
Mitch McConnell isn’t with Kevin McCarthy on the government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/d8EC3EGEpL
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 27, 2023
McConnell’s message to House Republicans was that they are weakening the border with a government shutdown, “A vote against a standard short-term funding measure is a vote against paying over $1 billion in salary for Border Patrol and ICE agents working to track down lethal fentanyl and tame our open borders.”
Video:
Sen. Min. Leader McConnell sends pointed message to House Speaker McCarthy:
“A vote against a standard short-term funding measure is a vote against paying over $1 billion in salary for Border Patrol and ICE agents working to track down lethal fentanyl and tame our open borders.” pic.twitter.com/dz36nxHzlS
— The Recount (@therecount) September 27, 2023
Mitch McConnell is telling House Republicans that if they shut down the government, they are on their own. House Republicans will own this as Senate Republicans have come together with Democrats to pass a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open.
Kevin McCarthy is going to have no backup from Republicans in the Senate, and McConnell got the knives out, even though he reportedly works well with Speaker McCarthy on other issues, to make it clear to House Republicans that they are digging their political graves.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
