Rep. Mike Lawler

Democrats knew that.

They passed it into law.

And they knew that they couldn't extend it beyond that period because of the cost associated with it.

I have signed on to legislation to extend it by a year because we don't want Americans' healthcare premiums to spike.

But it speaks to the fundamental problem

with obama care which is that it didn't actually do what it was intended to do which is reduce health care costs in america uh... and in fact it has uh... exploded uh... since its inception so uh... look i am open to obviously uh... solving the issue uh... both short-term and long-term we have to we have to address the cost of health care in this country

But Democrats just pounding their fists on the table, stomping their feet and demanding their way is not the way to govern.

You don't hold the American people hostage.

And by the way, don't take my word for it.

Go look at every quote from Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi, and name the Democrat.

They all previously believed that you don't use government shutdowns to exert policy outcomes.

And now fundamentally, they have changed their view

because Donald Trump is president.

Look, obviously, that information is critically important for the Fed and others to do the work that is required.

But this is the fundamental challenge.

They're trying to figure out how to pay for, for instance, our troops, which is vital.

They're trying to figure out how to pay for critical programs like WIC and SNAP.

And so these are the very difficult decisions that any administration is put in because of the incalcitrance of my Democratic colleagues here.

Look, I've been opposed to government shutdowns regardless of who has tried to do it.

I criticized my Republican colleagues last Congress when some of them wanted to shut the government down over Joe Biden's disastrous open borders.