Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said the American public was blaming Republicans and President Donald Trump for the government shutdown because of their “lack of engagement.”
Partial transcript as follows:
MARTHA RADDATZ: I just want to go back to what Democrats have gotten during this period. Not talking about politics. What have Democrats gained during this period? And how long can this last?
KAINE: You know, Martha, I’m a United States Senator. And yes, I run as a Democrat, and I’m a Democrat, but I just don’t approach my work that way. So, when you ask what Democrats have gained, what we’re — what we’re focused on is the American people. We want President Trump to stop firing people, canceling economic development projects. We want them to stop raising everybody’s costs. You know, health care costs, energy costs, housing costs. Halloween’s more expensive. Thanksgiving is more expensive. The holidays are going to be more expensive.
So, we’re asking the president to simply sit down and do what all presidents do. We can find a budget deal that puts us on a path to a health care fix. I don’t need all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed. I just want to be on a path so that people’s bills don’t spike, and I want the president to agree, stop the wrecking ball. Stop the mass firings and the cancellations of projects you don’t like. And I think Americans understand that. And that’s why they look at Donald Trump’s lack of engagement and overwhelmingly say that he’s really more to blame for this.
Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
Read the full article here