Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) sidestepped a question about former President Donald Trump urging House Republicans to force a partial government shutdown — instead chiding a “Democratic operative” who broached the topic for his fashion choices.
“Representative, do you support Trump’s call to shut down the government?” a Democratic stalker clearly wearing khaki shorts with black socks asked Burchett in a Capitol Hill confrontation captured on video of the congressman then posted to Xthe site formerly known as Twitter.
“He didn’t call me,” Burchett replied. “And I don’t – I don’t – support you wearing black socks with shorts.”
A spokesman for Burchett told The Post that the questioner “did not identify himself to us, but Congressman Burchett recognized him as someone who had spoken with members of Congress outside the Capitol or office buildings before.”
Trump, 77, has urged his allies in Congress not to back down from withholding a vote for more federal spending and posted to his Social Truth account on Sunday that President Biden “will be BLAMED for the budget Shutdown.”
“Whoever the President is to blame, in this case, Crooked (as Hell!) Joe Biden!” he said on his social media platform, before turning to attack Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for working with Democrats.
Last week, Trump said in another post that congressional Republicans “failed on the debt limit” but should press ahead to “reject all aspects” of the Biden administration, especially for bringing “political impeachment” against himself.
McConnell, 81, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the path forward in the spending debate on Tuesday, which will fund the government at “current levels” until Nov. 17.
The continuing resolution includes $6 billion for disaster relief and about $4.5 billion in aid to Ukraine — spending provisions opposed by many hard-line members of the Legislature.
A test vote on the measure cleared the upper chamber 77-19, with a group of Senate Republicans voting in opposition.
Rep. Tim Burchett declined to comment on calls for a partial government shutdown. Getty Images
Schumer in a speech from the Senate floor criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for not spearheading a government funding bill, saying he “serves the hard right and has nothing — nothing to show for it.”
House Republicans introduced four appropriations bills on Tuesday night that would fund the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Agriculture.
But McCarthy has so far been unable to convince his conference to fully support the stopgap spending bill, with five Republicans joining Democrats last week in opposing more government funding.
If the House passes its own spending resolution, McCarthy said he would talk with McConnell and Schumer to reconcile differences and avoid a government shutdown before midnight on Sept. 30.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has threatened to vacate McCarthy’s speakership if he introduces measures to fund the government at current spending levels.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
