SCOOP: Freedom Caucus and House GOP united as Schumer Shutdown heads into second month: "The Democrats are playing games all because they literally have nothing else to run on"
Rep. Andy Harris and Rep. Lisa McClain teamed up to stress the House GOP's unity as the Schumer Shutdown heads to its second month.
Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.), the Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, continued his partnership with House GOP leadership as the Schumer Shutdown prepares to head to its second month.
In the latest instance of Harris teaming up with other GOP heavy hitters, Harris was joined by Rep. Lisa McClain (R., Mich.) — the House GOP Chairwoman — and several of his fellow Freedom Caucus members.
The two groups, which have been at serious odds even during this Congress, stressed that amidst unprecedented Democratic obstruction, they are united.
The lawmakers want what Republicans have stressed since Senate Democrats voted to shut the government down: a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government; this bill was passed by the House with unanimous Freedom Caucus support but was repeatedly blocked in the Senate by Democrats.
“Almost a month ago, House Republicans — including every single member of the Freedom Caucus — voted to keep the government open,” McClain said.
“We are in the second week of the shutdown with no end in sight,” Harris said. “Obviously we are waiting to hear what the Senate does and hopefully the Senate Democrats decide to change their mind and reopen the government, but until then, the Republicans are standing together and just waiting for the Democrats to reopen the government so we can get down to the negotiations we need to do to pass our appropriations bills and all the other issues in Congress.”
Members of the Freedom Caucus laid out a clear path to get out of the government shutdown.
“This is pretty straightforward,” Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas) explained. “We’re basically being held up by five Democrats. The United States government is shut down because we can’t get five Democrats to join with the two that have already come across the aisle to work with us. Instead, the Democrats are playing games — all because they literally have nothing else to run on.”
Joining Harris, McClain, and Roy on the call were Reps. Keith Self (R., Texas), Marlin Stutzman (R., Ind.), Eric Burlison (R., Mo.), Diana Harshbarger (R., Tenn.), and Lauren Boebert (R., Colo.).