Congressional Democrats Own the Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON - House Republicans did our job. Two weeks ago, the House passed a clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open - with 216 Republicans and one Democrat voting to fund the government. The measure now sits in the Senate, where it requires 60 votes to advance. There are only 53 Republican Senators. Instead of joining House and Senate Republicans to reopen the government, Senate Democrats are rejecting the clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution and preventing the 60 votes needed to pass it. Due to this, and put very simply: it is Democrats and Democrats alone that own the consequences of the government shutdown.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS KEPT THE GOVERNMENT OPEN

SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE SHUTTING IT DOWN

Despite bipartisan support for the clean CR, Senate Democrats continue to block it. Their obstruction IS THE ONLY REASON the government shutdown continues.

THE FACTS:

While Democrats try obfuscate over who owns the shutdown, the truth is simple:

• The HOUSE passed the clean CR.
• The SENATE Democrats are stalling the clean CR.
• REPUBLICANS voted to keep the government open.
• DEMOCRATS voted to keep it closed.

BOTTOM LINE

No amount of spin can change the simple facts. Republicans did our job. Democrats are holding the government hostage by preventing the clean CR from achieving 60 votes in the Senate. It's time for the media to understand these simple facts and it's time for five more Senate Democrats to stop the theatrics, vote for the clean CR, and let the government get back to work for the American people.