A fed-up Jake Tapper told Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) that congressional Republicans are incapable of governing.
At issue is the latest quasi-regular threat of a government shutdown, which will happen at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday if the House, Senate, and president do not agree on a resolution to continue funding the government. The main culprit is the Republican-controlled House, whose members cannot agree on a bill. On Wednesday, it appeared a large 1,547-page bill to keep the government open until March would sail through Congress. However, Elon Musk came out against the measure, after which President-elect Donald Trump followed suit. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pulled the bill. The next day, the House failed to pass a much smaller version.
On The Lead on CNN, Tapper spoke with Lawler about a new bill ahead of a much-anticipated vote on Friday night. The lawmaker slammed President Joe Biden for not being involved in the process.
“But where is Joe Biden?” Lawler asked. “He’s the sitting president of the United States. Nobody has heard a word from Joe Biden or the White House. And we’re eight hours away from a government shutdown. You know, this is why Washington is so broken. You talk about the fact that we got to this point of a government shutdown? Go down the hall in the Senate. Chuck Schumer passed exactly zero appropriations bills through the Senate floor this year.”
“I certainly understand what you’re saying,” Tapper replied. “But at the same time, with all due respect, Sir, you’re going after the top Democrat in the Senate and a lame-duck Democratic president. Your conference, the House Republican conference, we go through this every single time Republicans control the House. You guys can’t pass legislation. You can’t govern.”
Lawler objected to the host’s characterization.
“We’ve passed a lot of legislation that is languished down the hall in the Senate,” he responded.
“Government funding legislation,” Tapper shot back. “Every time, we go through this.”
Lawler again hit out at Schumer for not taking up the House’s appropriations bills.
“Senate Democrats are in control in the Senate, and Joe Biden is in control of the White House,” the congressman said. And by the way, again, I reiterate, where is Joe Biden? Why has he not weighed in at all?”
Watch above via CNN.
