Hank Johnson: “I deeply regret that the Republicans have shut down the government. They have shut the whole thing down. Their…”

“I deeply regret that the Republicans have shut down the government. They have shut the whole thing down. Their 2-year-old plan to shut down the government over the Affordable Care Act is as harmful as it is fruitless. However, all is not lost. The Republican shutdown can end today if the Speaker would simply disengage the ``Cruz control'' and hold a vote on a clean bill. This is day 8 of the government shutdown. With the debt ceiling vote looming, this is the time for action, not talk. You can't negotiate with a Republican Party stuck on ``Cruz control'' on something so basic as a clean bill to reopen our government. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have determined that fealty to extreme Tea Party groups is more important than the needs of the people they represent. It's time to end the stubborn, unreasonable, and mean-spirited obsession with killing the Affordable Care Act. The Republican shutdown can end today if only the Speaker would allow a vote. ____________________”