Research Briefing

Despite Their Rhetoric, Obama And The Democrats Are Doing Whatever They Can To Shut Down The Government

President Obama: “This Is Not A Way To Run A Government… We Don’t Have Time For Games.”(David Rogers, “New Compromise Target: $40B In Cuts,” Politico, 4/5/11)

OBAMA CLAIMS HE WANTS TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN BUT HE KEEPS REJECTING DEALS TO DO SO 

Obama Rejected The House Republicans’ Plan To Fully Fund The Military And Keep The Government Open For Another Week. “The White House and Senate Democrats rejected a proposal earlier Tuesday from House Republicans that would have funded the military through the end of the fiscal year and the rest of the government for one more week with $12 billion worth of cuts.” (Meredith Shuner, “Harry Reid: ‘Not Very Optimistic,’” Politico, 4/5/11)

• While “Accelerat[ing]” Preparations For A Shutdown. “The administration accelerated preparations for a potential shutdown, asking agency heads to show their contingency plans to senior managers, according to a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget.” (Jennifer Steinhauer And Carl Hulse, “Obama Rejects Further Budget Stopgaps, With Shutdown Near,” The New York Times, 4/5/11)

In March, Obama Threatened To Veto The House-Passed CR, Which Could Cause A Government Shutdown. "The Continuing Resolution (CR) bill currently on the House floor would keep the government operating past March 4. Some version of the CR is needed to avoid a shutdown since the Democratic-led Congress failed to pass a budget last year. Congress in December passed a stopgap funding bill to keep the government operating through March 4. ... The Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday issued a statement indicating that Mr. Obama will veto the CR bill as it stands ..."  (Stephanie Condon, "Is a Government Shutdown in March on the Table?" CBS News, 2/16/11)

In February Republicans Passed A Budget Bill To Cover The Rest Of The Fiscal Year, But Democrats Rejected The Bill. “A House-passed budget bill for the remainder of this fiscal year, approved Feb 19th, proposed to cut $61.3 billion from the spending levels set when this new Congress began in January. The Senate has since rejected that plan, and the two sides have been fighting to reach some middle ground before a threatened government shutdown Friday.” (David Rogers, “New Compromise Target: $40B In Cuts,” Politico, 4/5/11)

Obama Rejects The Republican Plans While Failing To Show Leadership On The Budget 

“Averting A Shutdown Might Be High On Obama’s List, But He Must Not Want The American People To Think So.” (A.B. Stoddard, Op-Ed, “Obama Is MIA On The Budget,” The Hill, 3/30/11)

If Obama Really Wanted A Deal, “He Would Abandon The Brinksmanship” And Lead.  “A deal could still materialize to keep the government operating beyond next week, but if Obama really wanted one he would abandon the brinksmanship and go out and get one.” (A.B. Stoddard, Op-Ed, “Obama Is MIA On The Budget,” The Hill, 3/30/11)

Obama Has Been “More Of A Pundit Or A Distant Judge” Than A Leader In The Budget Debate. “Perhaps Obama has the same fear of quagmires when it comes to the budget fight, but this is not a battle he can avoid. So far, he has been more of a pundit or a distant judge, rendering verdicts from afar on the behavior of the various parties.” (E.J. Dionne Jr., “Where’s Obama Resolve On The Budget Battle?,” The Washington Post, 3/30/11)

WHILE DEMOCRATS (NOT SO) PRIVATELY ROOT FOR A SHUTDOWN  

“For All The Effort Democrats Have Put Into Portraying Republicans To Be Hot On The Idea Of A Shutdown, It’s Really Democrats Who Are Talking Much More About It — Almost Incessantly.” (Jonathan Allen & Carrie Budoff Brown, “How A Government Shutdown Could Happen,” Politico, 2/22/11)

Democrats Believe They Would Have “Political Edge On The Issue” If The Government Were To Shut Down. “Senate Democrats are talking about a possible government shutdown more than Republicans, a sign that Democrats are confident they have the political edge on the issue. Senate Democrats have met with senior White House officials in preparation for an intense clash with Republicans over government spending levels and a proposal to increase the national debt ceiling. The three highest-ranking Senate Democratic leaders warned on Thursday that a shutdown is a real possibility.” (Alexander Bolton, “Government Shutdown On The Lips Of Senate Democrats, Not Republicans,” The Hill, 2/4/11)

CNN Headline: “Democrats Eager To Talk Of Government Shutdown.”  “Senate Democratic leaders held a news conference Thursday to warn about the dangers of a Republican-forced government shutdown. But as one reporter aptly noted to the leaders, it is the Democrats talking most about shutting down the government.” (Dana Bash et al, “Democrats Eager To Talk Of Government Shutdown,” CNN’s “Political Ticker” Blog, 2/3/11) 

Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Marching Orders To Democrats: Call Everything Extreme

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Was Caught Ordering His Fellow Democrats On A Conference Call To Call Republicans “Extreme” Instead Of Working In Good Faith To Pass A Budget. “After thanking his colleagues — Barbara Boxer of California, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Tom Carper of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — for doing the budget bidding for the Senate Democrats, who are facing off against the House Republicans over how to cut spending for the rest of the fiscal year, Mr. Schumer told them to portray John Boehner of Ohio, the Speaker of the House, as painted into a box by the Tea Party, and to decry the spending cuts that he wants as extreme. ‘I always use the word extreme,’ Mr. Schumer said, ‘That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week.’” (Jennifer Steinhauer, “On  A Senate Call, A Glimpse Of Marching Orders,” The New York Times’ “The Caucus” Blog, 3/29/11)

• Listen To Schumer Give Marching Orders

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean: Democrats Should Root For A Shutdown

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean Said Democrats Should Be “Quietly Rooting” For A Government Shutdown. “‘If I was head of DNC, I would be quietly rooting for it,’ said Dean, speaking on a National Journal Insider’s Conference panel Tuesday morning. ‘I know who’s going to get blamed – we’ve been down this road before.’” (Alex Roarty, “Howard Dean: Democrats Should Be 'Quietly Rooting' for Shutdown,” National Journal, 3/29/11)

• Dean Said It Would Be “The Best Thing In The World To Have A Shutdown.” “‘From a partisan point of view, I think it would be the best thing in the world to have a shutdown,’ said Dean.” (Alex Roarty, “Howard Dean: Democrats Should Be 'Quietly Rooting' for Shutdown,” National Journal, 3/29/11)
• Watch Howard Dean Root For A Shutdown  

AND CONVENIENTLY FORGET WHY WE’RE IN THIS MESS TO BEGIN WITH  

Democrats Played Politics And Failed To Pass A Budget Last Year

“Some Version Of The CR Is Needed To Avoid A Shutdown Since The Democratic-Led Congress Failed To Pass A Budget Last Year.” (Stephanie Condon, “Is a Government Shutdown in March on the Table?” CBS News, 2/16/11)

ABC’s Rick Klein: “Obama Not Mentioning, Of Course, That Failure To Pass A Budget In Time For Fiscal Year Came While Dems Controlled House & Senate.” (Rick Klein, Twitter Feed, 4/5/11)

Last Year, The House Failed To Pass A Budget For The First Time Since 1974, Because Democrats Didn’t “Want To Make Vulnerable Democrats Vote For Another Spending Bill.” ABC’s Jake Tapper:  “I want to say, the theory is that you don't want to make vulnerable Democrats vote for another spending bill, and that's why, for the first time since 1974 there isn't going to be a house budget.”  (ABC’s “This Week,” 6/13/10)

• Democrats Didn’t Want To Encourage More “Voter Rebellion” In November After Voting For ObamaCare. “After betting their political future on a government-mandated expansion of health care to include millions more Americans, Democrats appear to have little appetite for more legislative showdowns given voter rebellion against government spending amid trillion dollar-plus annual deficits.” (Laurie Kellman, “Election Spooks Lawmakers, Curbs Congress Spending,” The Associated Press, 6/7/10)
  
  
• “They Never Passed A Budget Or Any Of The Dozen Appropriations Bills That Fund The Government.” (Jonathan Allen, “The Huddle,” Politico, 9/30/10) 

Despite Claiming That Budgeting Is “The Most Basic Responsibility Of Governing”

Obama: "'[W]e Cannot Keep Doing Business This Way,' Obama Said After The Senate Approved The [Short-Term Continuing] Resolution." (Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery,  "Obama Invites Congressional Leaders To Meet With Biden On Budget," The Washington Post, 3/2/11)

Hoyer In 2006: “House Republicans Are Now On The Cusp Of Failing To Meet The Most Basic Responsibility Of Governing – Enacting A Budget.” (Rep. Steny Hoyer, “Republican Budget Meltdown Continues,” Press Release, 5/11/06)

• But In 2010, Hoyer Failed To Pass A Budget He Said He Was Waiting For From The President’s Fiscal Commission. “‘It isn’t possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget until we’ve considered the bipartisan commission’s deficit-reduction plan, which is expected in December,’ according to Hoyer’s prepared remarks that were provided to The Hill.” (Jared Allen, “Dems Won’t Pass Budget In 2010,” The Hill, 6/22/10)

Pelosi In 2006 On The Consequences Of Failing To Produce A Budget: “‘They're Going To Leave A Mess As They Go Out,’ Democratic House Speaker-To-Be Nancy Pelosi Of San Francisco Said Thursday.” (Edward Epstein, “Congress Goes Home With Budget Work Unfinished,” San Francisco Chronicle, 12/08/06)

Former Democrat Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt In 2006:  “If You Can’t Budget, You Can’t Govern.”  (Jonathan Allen, “Budget Looms Over Midterm Elections,” Politico, 5/10/10)

Rep. Jim Clyburn: “Two-Week Budgeting Is No Way To Fund The Government.” “Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn of South Carolina said, ‘Two-week budgeting is no way to fund the government’ and that Democrats already have gone along with $41 billion in cuts from Obama’s proposed budget a year ago.” (Richard Cohen, "Democrats Struggle To Unify On Budget," Politico, 3/4/11)