The looming possibility of a government shutdown has first district Republican Representative Rick Crawford saying it would be President Obama’s fault. The potential shutdown is the result of a strategy by some House Republicans to pass a budget without including funding for the Affordable Care Act.
The Senate is majority Democrat and any budget not including funding for health care programs is unlikely to pass and garner the President’s signature but Crawford said otherwise.
“This could actually pass and the fact of the matter is that we need some folks in the Senate to help us help them. You’re going to probably see some folks take to the floor, possibly filibuster,” Crawford said in an interview with KASU in Jonesboro.
Crawford said it’s wrong to characterize a shutdown as the fault of Republicans, “That question is something that needs to be directed to Harry Reid and the President. Essentially the ball is in their court. Are they going to stand on ideological ground like they’re accusing us of doing?”
Failing to pass a budget for the federal government by Monday could result in nearly a million federal workers being furloughed and the halting of non-essential government services. Democratic Senator Mark Pryor called the House plan “irresponsible” saying it would the hurt economy as it’s “beginning to turn the corner.”
A wide swath of public opinion polls shows the public does not support a government shut down over the issue of the Affordable Care Act.
