Bernie Sanders faced with 2013 shutdown remarks: throw ‘Americans out on the street, and we are going to get our way no matter what’
On Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) appeared on MSNBC. During his segment, host Ali Velshi played a clip of OMB Director Mick Mulvaney reciting a direct quote from Sanders regarding the 2013 government shutdown:
photo/ donkeyhotey
“What they [Republicans] are saying to the American people tonight is: ‘Maybe we have lost the presidential election; maybe we’ve lost seats in the Senate and in the House. It doesn’t matter! We can now bring the government to a shutdown – throw some 800,000 hard working Americans out on the street, and we are going to get our way no matter what.’”
Mulvaney then commented on the Sanders quote: “This is exactly what they accused the Republicans of doing back in 2013. There is absolutely no reason to have to insert a DACA discussion, immigration discussion into the funding bill today.”
In 2013, Sanders also accused Republicans of wanting to “annul” the election because they hadn’t “gotten over” the fact then-President Barack Obama was re-elected.
“Our Republican friends in the House are trying to annul the election that took place last November. Some of them were shocked that Obama won and that he won by 5 million votes,” Sanders said in 2013.
After the clip, Velshi asked Sanders to respond. The seemingly flustered Senator replied: “I – that doesn’t sound like – I don’t recall saying anything like that.” He quickly pivoted: “Nobody wants a shutdown. Democrats don’t want a shutdown. I think most Republicans don’t want a shutdown. The only person who has talked positively about a shutdown is the President of the United States. He said, you know, maybe the country needs a good shutdown. That was Donald Trump.”
Sanders then made his point again: “I don’t want a shutdown; I don’t know anybody who does.”
Bernie then returned to talking points: “Republicans control the House, Senate and White House. The most fundamental responsibility of the governing party is to govern. I say to Republicans: Do your job.” – @BernieSanders
Of course that is not anymore true today than it was in 2013, as 60 votes in needed to fix the debt crisis in Washington.
