U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) believes the Democrats are forcing a federal government shutdown tomorrow, on October 1, because party leadership wants to placate to their radical left base.
The U.S. House already passed a Republican stopgap Continuing Resolution earlier this month that would fund the government through Nov. 21.
The upper chamber is expected to vote on the CR again Tuesday afternoon after rejecting it earlier this month. It’s not expected to break the 60 vote threshold needed to break a filibuster.
Palmer told WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program” Tuesday that Democrats will only have themselves to blame if the government shuts down.
“I think we’re headed toward a shutdown.” Palmer said. “I’d say it’s 90 95% certain. Because the real issue… is not these, the issues the Democrats claim they want. It’s that Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are covering their backside. Schumer is scared to death that AOC is going to primary him. Jeffries knows that he has not been a particularly popular minority leader for the Democrats in the House and he could be easily supplanted. So this is just a little Kabuki Theater on their part, and they’re they’re going to try to hold the line.”
Congressional Democrats have stalled Republicans’ efforts to fund the government with partisan funding demands, including expansions for Obamacare subsidies, taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens, and an additional $1.5 trillion in spending.
“And the reason they’re asking for the things they’re asking for, that’s what the hard left wants them to ask for,” Palmer continued. “They want to give anyone who crosses our border welfare [and] free health insurance. I mean, if it were up to them, they’d be following the Mamdani script in New York and take over the grocery stores to give everybody free groceries. I mean, they’re going to do whatever they can to protect their political stature.”
The congressman condemned Democrats for leveraging a possible shutdown to debate healthcare policy right.
“Yeah, it shouldn’t be part of this discussion, but it will be part, I think, of the next reconciliation bill,” he explained. “And one of the reasons I’ve introduced a bill called the new Health Options act that creates a parallel marketplace to Obamacare. It doesn’t repeal Obamacare. If people want to be on Obamacare, they can keep their Obamacare, and unlike Obama we’re not lying to them.”
Palmer believes Democrats are threatening America’s national security by forcing this government shutdown.
“I just I hope the people will pay careful attention to what’s going on,” he said. “China is an existential threat. We’ve got issues going on all over the world that President Trump’s trying to address, and the Democrats want to shut down government, really, to appease their left wing fanatic base out there. And this is to show you how dangerous things could get if these people were to get complete control.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
