Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) is blaming leftist groups and his own party for the ongoing government shutdown.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Golden wrote, “This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump.”
He added the shutdown is “hurting Americans and our economy, and the irony is it has only handed more power to the president.”
Golden continued:
This fight is ostensibly about health care, so let me be clear: I opposed the GOP’s Medicaid cuts and I want to extend the ACA tax credits. But some of my colleagues in the majority party have reasonable concerns about tax credits going to high-income households. There’s room and time to negotiate. But normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown.
During an interview on Friday, Rep Adam Smith (D-WA) said Democrats will not vote for the clean CR and then negotiate with Republicans because “we lose our leverage” by doing so, Breitbart News reported.
Meanwhile, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) blamed the ongoing government shutdown on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and pointed to him being worried about losing his post.
He said, “What’s behind the shutdown is you have a scared old man that’s afraid of losing his leadership position, a guy by the name of Chuck Schumer over in the Senate. This has nothing to do with healthcare. This had to do, again, with Chuck Schumer and Democrats’ misguided priorities that put illegals ahead of taxpaying American citizens.”
In May, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) filed paperwork to run for the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which Golden represents, according to Breitbart News.
LePage later said Golden “campaigns like a moderate Republican and votes like a liberal” during an interview with Breitbart News:
“There’s several things he hasn’t done in the state of Maine. I mean, the Canadians are encroaching into Maine waters, and he’s not done a darn thing to help the lobster fishermen in the state of Maine, but he has some beautiful ads when he’s running for office… how much he’s helping the lobstermen,” LePage said, noting he went down to Eastport and spoke to a bunch of individuals who have “never laid eyes on him, never have seen him.”
“He doesn’t go to the to the north and doesn’t go to the east. It’s awful,” he said, as host and Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle mentioned that Golden — who essentially receives permission slips from Democrat leaders — takes money from the likes of radical Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) despite presenting himself as a moderate.
In late August, Breitbart News reported that Golden “expects to face Republicans’ dream recruit in former two-term governor Paul LePage in 2026, perhaps the greatest threat thus far to his congressional career. But first, he must survive a possible threat just as great from his own party.”
The report added that “A polling memo obtained exclusively by Breitbart News reveals Golden’s emerging weakness from the left, revealing Golden trails primary challenger Matt Dunlap.”
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