Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference with House Democratic Leadership Opposing the Trump Shutdown
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
January 20, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined House Democratic leadership at a press conference opposing the Trump shutdown. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
“No American ought to be confused. Consistently, the strategy of the Republican party has been to take America hostage and shut down the government. They did it under Gingrich; they did it [five] years ago for 16 days; and they are pursuing that policy now. This is a shut down that President Trump welcomed, which is why he would not allow, and McConnell would not, nor would Ryan, put on the Floor issues on which we have consensus.
“Speaker Ryan said this, ‘we will advance major legislation one issue at a time.’ And then he said, ‘we will not duck the tough issues, we will take them head on.’ His failure to do any of those has realized the President’s objective of shutting down this government. The answer to your question is: absolutely. None of us here have ever supported policies to shut down the government. What we have supported, however, are positive policies to serve the American people.
“And we have not spent a minute putting on the Floor an agreed-upon – by Paul Ryan over the last four years – of parity of increases in domestic spending and military spending. Both of which we support. Both of which Speaker Ryan supported in [fiscal years] 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Why doesn’t he agree on that now? I don’t know the answer to that, but it has inevitably led to the fact that this incompetent leadership has not sent one appropriations bill to the President of the United States.
“This is not just about a CR. What is a CR? Funding government. No business, no enterprise, no office can function 30 days to 30 days to 30 days without extraordinary inefficiencies and losing money. I don’t have the Secretary of the Navy’s quote, but it’s apparently a $4 billion cost on these CRs. So we ask our Republican colleagues: do what Speaker Ryan said; do what, frankly, President Trump said. When they talk about illegal immigrants, the only reason they’re illegal is because Donald Trump made them so. Donald Trump made them so. And what did he say? Congress, fix it, and I’ll sign it.
“What did he say yesterday to Leader Schumer? Come down to the White House, and let’s work it out. And Senator Schumer went down to the White House, and he thought it was worked out. But someone in the White House, maybe it was himself, warring with himself, but maybe it was some other staffer who said, ‘no, we don’t want to make a deal, because what you wanted Mr. President was a shutdown and show ‘em.’
“Let’s be responsible.”
“No American ought to be confused. Consistently, the strategy of the Republican party has been to take America hostage and shut down the government. They did it under Gingrich; they did it [five] years ago for 16 days; and they are pursuing that policy now. This is a shut down that President Trump welcomed, which is why he would not allow, and McConnell would not, nor would Ryan, put on the Floor issues on which we have consensus.
“Speaker Ryan said this, ‘we will advance major legislation one issue at a time.’ And then he said, ‘we will not duck the tough issues, we will take them head on.’ His failure to do any of those has realized the President’s objective of shutting down this government. The answer to your question is: absolutely. None of us here have ever supported policies to shut down the government. What we have supported, however, are positive policies to serve the American people.
“And we have not spent a minute putting on the Floor an agreed-upon – by Paul Ryan over the last four years – of parity of increases in domestic spending and military spending. Both of which we support. Both of which Speaker Ryan supported in [fiscal years] 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Why doesn’t he agree on that now? I don’t know the answer to that, but it has inevitably led to the fact that this incompetent leadership has not sent one appropriations bill to the President of the United States.
“This is not just about a CR. What is a CR? Funding government. No business, no enterprise, no office can function 30 days to 30 days to 30 days without extraordinary inefficiencies and losing money. I don’t have the Secretary of the Navy’s quote, but it’s apparently a $4 billion cost on these CRs. So we ask our Republican colleagues: do what Speaker Ryan said; do what, frankly, President Trump said. When they talk about illegal immigrants, the only reason they’re illegal is because Donald Trump made them so. Donald Trump made them so. And what did he say? Congress, fix it, and I’ll sign it.
“What did he say yesterday to Leader Schumer? Come down to the White House, and let’s work it out. And Senator Schumer went down to the White House, and he thought it was worked out. But someone in the White House, maybe it was himself, warring with himself, but maybe it was some other staffer who said, ‘no, we don’t want to make a deal, because what you wanted Mr. President was a shutdown and show ‘em.’
“Let’s be responsible.”