Some House Republicans are looking for a way to jump-start discussions to bring an end to the government shutdown.
Fifth District Republican Susan Brooks says she and other freshmen in both parties have been talking, trying to figure out where there‘s common ground for an agreement. But Brooks acknowledges the freshmen lack the clout to get a deal done. And she joins other Republicans in pinning the blame on President Obama and Senate Democrats for refusing to negotiate on the spending bill.
House Republicans deleted funding for the federal health care law from a proposed stopgap bill to keep the government open. When the Senate restored funding, the House tied a new spending bill to a one-year delay in the law‘s effective date.
Brooks complains President Obama is setting the tone by ruling out negotiations. She says the president should be taking the lead in convening those talks.
Brooks says mail and calls from constituents has been about evenly split between calls for the G-O-P to stand its ground and calls to end the shutdown. She vows the House won‘t simply give in to Democratic demands for a “clean” spending bill.
