The Republican Party is so desperate to blame Democrats for any future government shutdown that they literally accused Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) of holding the nation hostage on Saturday, resulting in her burning them to the ground with facts.
President Donald Trump lost the shutdown battle last month after 35 days of demanding wall money that he was never going to get, and he is still demanding wall money and has threatened a new government shutdown later this month if he doesn’t get his way. Of course, Trump and Republicans are furiously trying to blame Democrats for any shutdown that occurs if they don’t give Trump what he wants even though Democrats have agreed to provide billions of dollars for border security, including more technology and manpower, which a recent White House National Drug Control Strategy report says is the best strategy. The report said nothing about a wall.
Clearly, Democrats are offering what Border Patrol really needs, not what Trump wants. But New York Republicans are accusing Ocasio-Cortez of “holding the Democratic Party and our nation hostage” in order to shift blame for a shutdown Trump causes.
Radicals like @AOC are holding the Democratic Party and our nation hostage. @MaxRose4NY, @DelgadoforNY19, and @ABrindisiNY should fight for a deal that increases border security. It’s what the people want! https://t.co/LJKWvtlwmP
— New York GOP (@NewYorkGOP) February 2, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez is only one congresswoman in a field of 235 Democrats and 435 total lawmakers in the House. She could vote every time against every bill and it would still pass the House by an overwhelming margin. She can’t hold anyone hostage. What she can do, however, is fact-check the New York GOP into oblivion, which she did on Twitter.
It’s hard for them to admit, but a wall is not what Americans want & never has been.
In recent Pew polling, almost 60% of Americans oppose a wall.
A *record-high* 75% of Americans say immigration is good for the US.
The only radical hostage-taker here is the Republican Party. https://t.co/DeQTUnz1E2
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 2, 2019
As usual, Ocasio-Cortez has the facts on her side. The majority of Americans blamed Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, and a majority oppose Trump’s wall in favor of the Democratic border security plan.
But you know who is really holding the nation hostage? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has refused to let any government funding bill come up for a vote because they don’t include money for a wall despite the fact that many Senate Republicans are prepared to vote for just such a bill.
If McConnell were not gumming up the works, Congress would have passed a veto-proof funding resolution by now that would avert a government shutdown and provide strong border security all without wasting money on a wall that will be ineffective at stopping drugs and illegal immigration.
So, the quote Ocasio-Cortez, “where’s Mitch?”
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