Sen. Whitehouse: Republicans ‘Wanted to Force’ Dems to Choose Between Supporting a CR to Fund the Federal Gov’t or Endure More Cuts to It

RADDATZ I m joined ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse ░░░░░░░░ Rhode Island who voted ░░░░░░░░ the funding bill Good ░░░░░░░░ senator You said Democrats ░░░░░░░░ given no good road ░░░░░░░░ funding the government and ░░░░░░░░ that was a choice ░░░░░░░░ two MAGA options What ░░░░░░░░ you mean by that ░░░░░░░░ why did you vote ░░░░░░░░ WHITEHOUSE Well we in ░░░░░░░░ normal world would have ░░░░░░░░ three options One would ░░░░░░░░ shut down the government ░░░░░░░░ would be this really ░░░░░░░░ deformation I would call ░░░░░░░░ of a CR And ░░░░░░░░ third would be continue ░░░░░░░░ a short term clean ░░░░░░░░ conclude the nearly concluded ░░░░░░░░ between Republicans and Democrats ░░░░░░░░ appropriations numbers and go ░░░░░░░░ to regular order and ░░░░░░░░ appropriations That would ordinarily ░░░░░░░░ third choice would have ░░░░░░░░ been the way we ░░░░░░░░ But the Republicans refused ░░░░░░░░ allow it because they ░░░░░░░░ to force us to ░░░░░░░░ between the CR and ░░░░░░░░ shutdown And the key ░░░░░░░░ the shutdown here is ░░░░░░░░ in an ordinary world ░░░░░░░░ executive Branch wants to ░░░░░░░░ out of the shutdown ░░░░░░░░ to go back into ░░░░░░░░ operations With these MAGA ░░░░░░░░ in charge they don ░░░░░░░░ necessarily want to come ░░░░░░░░ of shutdown and they ░░░░░░░░ tools in shutdown contingencies ░░░░░░░░ non essentialness determinations and ░░░░░░░░ and things like that ░░░░░░░░ they can use to ░░░░░░░░ the government just like ░░░░░░░░ ph DOGE is doing ░░░░░░░░ with a veneer of ░░░░░░░░ with the authority of ░░░░░░░░ powers So they were ░░░░░░░░ extremely extremely dangerous options ░░░░░░░░ my view is that ░░░░░░░░ Democrats we need to ░░░░░░░░ the intramural quarreling about ░░░░░░░░ voted what way and ░░░░░░░░ back to work saving ░░░░░░░░ democracy.”