GOP senator to Trump: Any chance you'll 'help us open the government'?
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s patience with the Trump shutdown seems to be wearing thin.
On the 24th day of the Trump shutdown, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is showing signs of frustration as Trump holds the federal government hostage over his border wall obsession.
In hopes of ending the shutdown, a plan was recently floated to pass a 3-week funding bill so Congress could debate the issues while the federal government was open. But Trump rejected that plan.
When a CNN reporter asked Murkowski about Trump’s rejection, she said, “Well, then Mr. President when are you going to help us open the government?”
It is his singular focus on a border wall that prevents 800,000 federal workers from receiving a paycheck. The shutdown is the longest in U.S. history, and a frustrated Murkowski is laying the blame at Trump’s feet
“It’s just not good for any of us,” she added.
Murkowski is not alone in her thoughts. In poll after poll, the public has put the blame squarely on Trump and congressional Republicans. In fact, Trump’s tactics are backfiring. According to a Washington Post analysis of recent polls, Trump’s approval rating is dropping and opposition to building a wall is growing.
Blaming Trump for the shutdown makes sense. After all, Trump bragged about being “proud” to own the shutdown if Democrats refused to pay a $5 billion ransom for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Susan Collins (R-ME), two of the most vulnerable senators in the country, have also expressed concern at the ongoing shutdown and voiced tepid support for reopening the government without funding for Trump’s wall.
The country is losing billions of dollars because of the shutdown, and despite the best efforts of congressional Democrats, there seems to be no end in sight. Perhaps Trump will listen to Murkowski and work on a plan to reopen the government.
Because Murkowski is right about one thing: It’s not good for any of us.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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