Dems Vote Against Fundamental Responsibility to Keep Government Open and Americans Safe
Despite Bipartisan Support, West Virginia Democrat Toes Party Line and Votes Against Measure to Shield Troop Salaries and Prevent a Government Shutdown
Washington — Given the chance to support a straightforward measure that would further reduce the deficit, shield military paychecks and keep the government open, Nick Rahall today decided instead to follow along with President Obama and Leader Pelosi. In opposing the measure, Rahall is clinging to an ideology that spends money we don’t have and instead borrows it from countries like China. It should be remembered that we are actually still cleaning up the mess that Democrats left behind, after they failed their most fundamental duty of passing a budget last year when they were in charge.
“It is absolutely stunning that Nick Rahall would rather stick to his D.C. party leaders’ political games and stubbornly cling to their big-spending ways than make one vote to protect military paychecks and keep the government open,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Democrats last year failed to pass a budget, and now Rahall is failing to stand up for our men and women in uniform and instead is voicing approval for a government shutdown. Rahall’s West Virginia constituents understand what he and his Democrat leaders still didn’t get today, which is that we cannot continue to borrow money from countries like China in order to pay for their spending spree.”
President Barack Obama dismissed the measure to protect troop paychecks as a “distraction”:
House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi was also hoping the bill would fail:
It’s certainly remarkable that Nick Rahall and his Democrat leaders continue to defy common-sense budgeting and would rather play political games after they failed to even pass a budget plan last year. Rahall’s constituents in West Virginia will be shocked to learn that he refused to take a stand to protect paychecks for our men and women in uniform and instead gave the go-ahead for a government shutdown just so he could appease his Democrat leaders and their big-spending policies once again.