Paul Ryan Blames Shutdown On Democrats, Accuses Them of Holding Nation 'Hostage'

[DonViejo]

PAUL RYAN BLAMES GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ON DEMOCRATS, ACCUSES THEM OF HOLDING NATION 'HOSTAGE'

BY SUMMER MEZA ON 1/20/18 AT 6:07 PM

House Speaker Paul Ryan placed the blame for the government shutdown squarely on the shoulder of Democrats in an impassioned address to fellow lawmakers on Saturday. Ryan accused Democrats of holding the government “hostage,” and slammed them for refusing to budge, saying it would negatively impact both the military and children dependent on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

“Senate Democrats shut down this government, and now Senate Democrats need to open this government back up,” said Ryan in the speech. “Stop holding our troops and children’s health insurance hostage.”

A government shutdown went into effect in the early hours of Saturday morning after a federal spending bill failed to pass. The bill was approved by the House, but after some Senate Republicans and most Senate Democrats voted against it, the government ceased some operations until a compromise is reached. The bill would have funded the federal government until February 16.

“Half of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce has been furloughed. Training for Reserves has got to stop. Guardsmen have to be sent home. A number of states are going to run out of money for children’s health insurance,” said Ryan. “And all of this, all of this, is completely unnecessary. But Senate Democrats believe none of it is too high a price to pay for appeasing their political base.”

While Ryan invoked the importance of the military to persuade his colleagues to end the shutdown, a lapse in funding would not actually shut down the military, as it is considered an essential function of the federal government.

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http://www.newsweek.com/government-shutdown-paul-ryan-blame-democrats-786197