Fox News blames Democrats for 'hell week' as GOP lawmakers risk government shutdown

Fox Business anchor Stuart Varney on Monday blamed the Democratic Party for creating a “hell week” in Congress, listing multiple legislative issues on the table to be addressed, including raising the debt ceiling, voting on infrastructure and spending proposals, and keeping the government open. But he left out any discussion of the role Republican lawmakers are playing in the current traffic jam.

On “Fox & Friends,” co-host Steve Doocy asked Varney about the situation in Congress.

“It’s called hell week,” responded Varney. “I think a lot of us are beginning to get really annoyed at this ludicrous situation where Speaker Pelosi and President Biden have pushed us into this really ridiculous situation.”

But Republicans have said they will not work with Democrats on any of the issues.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Sept. 21 that he and his caucus would not help Democrats raise the debt ceiling despite the catastrophic damage to the economy that could result.

“The debt ceiling will be raised as it always has. But it will be raised by the Democrats,” McConnell told reporters, even though, under the Republican majorities in the House and Senate when Donald Trump was president, the GOP added almost $7.8 trillion to the national debt, contributing to the need to raise the debt ceiling now.

Republican lawmakers are also declining to work to keep the government open as it faces a looming shutdown. All of the 211 Republicans present in the House for a Sept. 22 vote to keep the government funded voted against the measure, which passed on a party-line vote. The legislation would also raise the debt ceiling but McConnell has said Republicans will not support that bill in the Senate. Under Trump, Democrats passed bipartisan legislation with Republicans that avoided a shutdown.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Sunday that the House will vote on the bipartisan infrastructure plan on Thursday. The legislation has already passed the Senate.

Polling has shown substantial support among American voters for what would be a historic investment, in contrast to the position of congressional Republicans and Trump, who oppose the bill.

The legislative action comes years after Republicans promised to pass an infrastructure bill promised by Trump when he campaigned in 2016. Despite controlling the White House, House, and Senate, GOP lawmakers never advanced infrastructure legislation.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.