Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the Republicans’ continuing-resolution budget proposal a “wolf in wolf’s clothing” and quoted the movie musical “The Music Man” in opposition to it on the House floor Friday.
Rep. Tom Graves’ Stability, Security and Fairness Resolution, which funds all facets of government for fiscal year 2014 except for Obamacare, passed the House of Representatives Friday by a 230-189 margin. The vote was split along party lines, with only two Democrats voting in favor of the resolution and one Republican voting in opposition.
Pelosi warned of the “gravity of the situation, to quote ‘The Music Man,’ of the trouble that is contained in this resolution today” while speaking against the budget plan on the House floor, making a hip and topical reference to appeal to the youth while clinging to her party’s talking point that Republicans are seeking a government shutdown.
“It is a wolf in wolf’s clothing. The underlying bill to shut down government, the CR, is reason enough to object to it, because that bill will cost at least a million jobs in the course of the next year. Will cost a million jobs,” Pelosi said.
“Dept Of Disfunction [sic]: House GOP just passes bill to shutdown govt unless insurance companies get free reign over your health care,” New York Democratic Rep. Steve Israel tweeted.
Republicans, meanwhile, are urging the Democratic Senate majority to take their plan to a floor vote.
“The American people don’t want the government shut down and they don’t want Obamacare. The House has listened to the American people. Now it’s time for the United States Senate to listen to them as well,” House Speaker Rep. John Boehner said in a live House Republican conference statement after the vote.
“For the first time since the Korean War it will possible to have two consecutive years of discretionary spending cuts…This resolution will also protect the working middle class from the devastating effects of Obamacare,” House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor said on the House floor.
“Each week we hear stories about how both major employers and small businesses are cutting back benefits and cutting back hours. The president’s health care law is turning our full-time economy into a part-time economy. Even the heads of major unions who were once so supportive of Obamacare want to see this law drastically changed to avoid further, quote, ‘nightmare scenarios,'” Cantor said.
“#SenateMustAct to follow the House’s lead and show some responsibility,” Cantor tweeted after the successful vote.
“Today the House of Representatives listened to the will of the American people and voted to keep the government open while defunding Obamacare. The President’s health care law is hurting economic growth, causing cutbacks in jobs and hours, and jacking up insurance premiums. We must save the American people from these disastrous consequences of Obamacare while still keeping the government open,” Rep. Michele Bachmann said in a statement.
“Even President Obama’s Big Labor allies are trying to exempt themselves from Obamacare, declaring it will hurt the middle class and erase the 40-hour work week. Obamacare is completely unworkable and deeply unpopular, and I will continue fighting until this train wreck is defunded once and for all so we can start over with free market, patient-centered health care reforms,” Bachmann said.
“#SenateMustAct #FundGovernmentNotObamacare,” tweeted Sen. Ted Cruz, the face of the GOP’s “Defund Obamacare” movement.
Nevertheless, Senate Democrats don’t appear to be rushing to pass the GOP resolution.
“Remember when Speaker Boehner said he wasn’t going to try to repeal Obamacare anymore?,” Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid tweeted Friday morning.