GOP Shutdown Watch 9/23: "They prefer grandstanding to governing" Edition

Will GOP leaders listen to the nearly dozen Republican freshmen who are calling on them to be “principled, pragmatic leaders” and take responsible action to avert another costly government shutdown? Only time will tell… but time is running short, with only five legislative days left to act.

Headlines of the Day:

Washington Post Editorial: John Boehner must rein in the GOP caucus

Politico: GOP freshmen urge party to avoid shutdown

WSJ: Spending Bill Is on Track, but Shutdown Threat Persists

Washington Post: If the government shuts, don’t plan on visiting Yellowstone, financing your home or getting your tax refund

Quote of the Day:

“The bigger problem is in the House, where Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) is struggling — once again — to rein in far-right conservatives who are willing to pass a funding bill only if it reflects their priorities, in this case, by ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood. That is, they prefer grandstanding, on behalf of a cause most Americans don’t support, to governing the country.” [Washington Post Editorial,9/23/15]

Fact of the Day:

“Patients with critical illnesses will be turned away and research will be disrupted if the government shuts down again on Oct. 1.”

Number to Know:

11: The number of freshman Republicans who wrote a letter urging their GOP colleagues to pass a CR before the end of the fiscal year  and not hold government funding hostage over Planned Parenthood. The letter says: “[W]e are writing today to express our strong support for a funding resolution that will avoid another unnecessary and harmful government shutdown… “[W]e were elected by our constituent’s [sic] to be principled, pragmatic leaders… The sixteen-day government shutdown in 2013 … not only hurt taxpayers with the loss of important government services — it actually cost more taxpayer money to close the federal government than to keep it open.”