Louise Slaughter: It's An 'Atrocity' That Republicans Rigged Rules To Continue Shutdown

[moonbladem]

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has been fuming in recent days about Republicans quietly changing the House rules to prevent a clean funding bill from getting a vote, guaranteeing the government would remain shut down

Comments

[hinoema]

These are clearly hostage tactics. If anyone (out in the world) doesn't think it is also inexcusable, imagine if the situation were reversed and the Democrats had pulled a stunt like that. There would be treason hearings by now.

[wowsolovely]

yup its quite ridiculous.

[gambitia]

Ayup. There's talk of impeaching Obama by the really far-right.

[meadowphoenix]

Doug Andres, a Republican spokesman for the committee, said the whole point of the rules change was to force Senate Democrats to negotiate on broader budget issues.

So is anyone going to point out to them that they tacitly admitted that they could pass a clean bill without this, since the only way this makes sense is if the Republicans aren't already going to vote as a block or...

[tabaqui]

Lying, hypocritical, elitist *bastards*. Imagine, as hinoema said, if the Democrats had done this.

FUCK i'm sick of the GOP.

[idemandjustice]

I'm really, legitimately becoming frightened for what is being done to this country.

[astridmyrna]

Can, like, the president use an executive order to prevent the default? I've been trying to figure that out myself but my google-fu is failing me.

[zukpager305]

I was thinking about this the other day too and wondering if it was possible!

[astridmyrna]

My coworkers and I were talking about this the other day, and one coworker said he could use the executive order, but is probably waiting until the last second to smack the republicans down with it.

I'm kinda hoping that if this scenario does go down, he rolls into the House with a cowboy hat on.

[grace_om]

He spoke about that possibility a week or so ago... He said he wouldn't do it, basically because it would be a legally shaky enough move that the challenges would prevent it from being effective -- that is, the markets and the country's credit would be toast anyway.