McConnell Pledges No Government Shutdown

21 Comments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “dismissed the growing talk that the fight over Planned Parenthood might result in a government shutdown come Oct. 1 — nor, he said, would he allow a default on the debt,” Roll Call reports.

Said McConnnell: “Yeah, we’ll fund the government. I can’t tell you what will finally end up in or out of a government funding bill, but I can tell you without fear of contradiction there will be no government shutdown.”

  • Buford2k11

    yeah right, my contribution check is in the mail too…

  • Wynstone

    McConnell isn’t really the last word on this so…

    • Hawkeye

      Right. This promise coming from the Speaker of the House would have more guts.

  • APV

    McConnell does not have control over the House Republican caucus. The shutdown may not be due to planned parenthood. It could be over ACA funding.

    The budget blueprint/resolution passed by the House calls for ACA repeal. In fact, the House Budget resolution keeps the Medicare savings due to ACA, assumes the same level of revenue from the law’s tax increases, even though the law would be repealed.

    • RadicalCentrist

      Revenue from a repealed law. And they say there is no such thing as magic…..

  • brainscoop

    Strong words from Yertle the Turtle. Hope his mouth isn’t writing checks that his ass (or gavel) can’t cash.

    • evave2

      I didn’t think of the Yertle (or is it Yertl? I can’t remember how to spell it?) reference. Thanks.

  • S1AMER

    And is there any sentient being in America who would actually fall for this pledge?

  • Inkan1969

    This is really going to make the anti-abortion wing go rabid.

  • evave2

    How can he promise that? Or is he saying “Obama is going to close the government” because that was their drill last time?

    • S1AMER

      That, or something similar. Whatever, there’s an unstated asterisk to his statement today, and that contains the escape clause.

  • Cloner

    I’m not going to drink too much tonight! I can’t tell you how much I’m going to drink, but I can tell you without fear of contradiction that I am not going to drink too much tonight!

  • http://mediajunkie.com/ xian

    he better check with trump

  • oldhandatthis

    A GOP triggered shut down greatly increases the odds Democrats will flip the Senate in 2016. I expect both McConnell and Boehner will work to keep the Senate under Republican control.

    • Cloner

      You know, I know that is conventional wisdom, but I’m not sure I buy it. Past shutdowns haven’t damaged the GOP to the extent one might think, and that is because I think people tend not to attribute the problem to just one party. They blame the whole damn congress, and both parties. That is why politicians, and US congressmen in particular, are held in such low esteem these days. So bottom line, a shutdown hurts both parties, perhaps even equally. Or maybe I’m wacko.

      • oldhandatthis

        Republicans were taking a lot of heat for the last shutdown. What saved them was the dysfunctional roll out of the federal Obamacare exchange. Hopefully Democrats won’t be throwing them a life preserver a second time.

      • Chammy

        Well they lost the last two presidential elections so it has hurt them and if it were not for gerrymandering they would have lost the house

  • AlfredRegius

    I’m going to climb out on a limb here and suggest that Mr. McConnell’s remarks are a sign of “cooler heads prevailing.” I would like to think that Sen. McConnell is acknowledging the irresponsibility of brinkmanship in debt ceiling negotiations and has found just enough courage to stand up to the fire-breathers like Sen. Ted Cruz. I also think Mr. McConnell understands that Pres. Obama would call the GOP’s bluff and hand the Republicans yet another defeat at a politically inopportune moment. I call this a “win” for Mr. Obama.

    • Hawkeye

      Even coming from Boehner, statements like McConnell’s would mean nothing. It all depends on the GOP caucus in the House.

    • Crowminuteman1

      McConnell at least has the brains to recognize that another republican authored government shut down would be highly detrimental to his party. He’s not like the brick throwing idiots that are running for president.

  • Thomas L Wilson

    WOW! This is a green light for President Obama to push the GOP/T against the wall. GO BARAK! No mercy to these SOBs!