On the recordDecember 17, 2015
Here is an article just in Politico by Burgess Everett. It is today. It concludes with a quote from Senator Charles Schumer of New York: `` `Sen. McConnell wants to see the Senate work,' Schumer said. 'But the good news for us is, to make it work, he has to do basically our agenda.' '' That is what we have been telling people for so long, Mr. Speaker, that people across America say: We would like to see you guys in Washington work together. We would like to see government not shut down, that you guys work together and get things done. But as we explained repeatedly--and now it has been confirmed by Senator Schumer--there is only one way that some folks here in this Capitol building will reach an agreement with Republicans. Normally, that is if we do exactly their agenda. I go back to the spring of 2011, when Republicans resumed the majority in the House of Representatives. There was a CR that was going to expire. The Government would run out of money at midnight. As I recall, it was a Friday. It appeared to me--and I have said since then that it certainly appeared that Harry Reid believed and the White House believed the conventional wisdom here in Washington--that, if the Democrats could force a shutdown, then their massive friends in the mainstream media would blame Republicans and that would be their best shot at regaining a majority in the House and keeping it in the Senate.…
