Republicans slam Katherine Clark’s shutdown leverage comments
The article discusses criticism from house Republicans and the Trump governance directed at Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark for her remarks about the government shutdown. Clark acknowledged on Fox News that while shutdowns cause suffering for families and are taken seriously by Democrats, they also represent one of the few leverage points the party has in negotiations.Republicans have used her comments to accuse Democrats of “celebrating” the shutdown, highlighting the leverage Democrats are trying to use in funding talks. The White House also accused Democrats of ignoring the fallout and appeasing their progressive base. The shutdown has extended beyond three weeks with negotiations stalled, the House passing a temporary funding resolution now stuck in the Senate, and political blame intensifying.Senate Democrats, including Senator Martin Heinrich, have similarly described using leverage in the funding conflict, while Republican leaders emphasize holding Democrats responsible for prolonging the shutdown.
Republicans slam No. 2 House Democrat for acknowledging the Left’s leverage point in the shutdown
The Trump administration and House Republicans have accused Democrats of “celebrating” the government shutdown after Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) admitted that it is one of the “few leverage times we have.”
“I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and of course there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer,” Clark, the No. 2 House Democrat, told Fox News. “We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
Clark’s words have since been highlighted by Republicans across multiple press releases. Her interview was even played on loop on a TV outside House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s (R-LA) office.
The White House, in its own press release on Wednesday, charged: “Democrats aren’t just ignoring the fallout they’ve unleashed, they’re celebrating it as they attempt to appease their Radical Left base.”
The White House outlined similar comments Democrats have made as the shutdown barrels forward with no end in sight.
Johnson has been criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for weeks for a comment he made, saying that “every day gets better for us” when talking about the shutdown, which is now the second-longest shutdown in history. Republicans have labeled the shutdown as the “Schumer shutdown” when racing to cast the blame on the Left.
Clark is not the only Democrat who has outlined the leverage they have in this funding fight. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), when asked about a bill to pay certain federal workers over others told CNN that support that “gives the president more leverage.”
The shutdown has surpassed three weeks, as no negotiations have taken place. The House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government until Nov. 21 is in the upper chamber, where it needs to meet the 60-vote threshold for the bill to hit the president’s desk and reopen the government.
The House has remained out of session for the entirety of the shutdown in an effort to add pressure on the Senate to pass the short-term funding resolution. While the chamber remains out of session, leadership has stayed in Washington, where they hold daily press conferences blaming their counterparts across the aisle.
Schumer has continuously aimed to keep enough of his Democratic caucus in line to force Republicans to strike a deal that meets Democratic demands on healthcare. So far, only Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and two Democrats have backed the GOP plan.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Clark’s office for comment.
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