Political Quotes

“we are now approaching day seven of the government shutdown. The Republicans control the House. They control the Senate. They control the White House. They run the government, and they have the responsibility to keep the government open. And in that light, it might be a good idea and a radical idea, but in the midst of the crises that we are facing, it really might be nice for Speaker Johnson to actually bring House Members back to Washington after their 18-day vacation. The American people are nervous about this shutdown. Federal employees are deeply disturbed. People are frightened. Republicans in the House should return to work. As we all know, Senate rules require a 60-vote majority in order to pass a budget--60 votes. And that means that passing a budget requires bipartisan support. That is why, decades ago, the rules were established. It is very rare that one party has more than 60 votes. So if you need 60 votes, it means that you have to compromise; you have to negotiate. When Democrats were in power, they had to work with Republicans to get the 60 votes. When Republicans, in the past, were in power, they had to work with Democrats to get the 60 votes. That is the way it worked. But not now. This time around, the Republicans have refused to negotiate. Basically, what they are saying is it is their way or the highway, take it or leave it. So within that context of Republicans refusing to negotiate, what is the shutdown about?”