Ted Cruz

because the democrats on a party line vote are refusing to fund the department of homeland security it takes sixty votes to pass the funding legislation we only have fifty three republicans so saying congress is not doing its job what is inaccurate the republicans we are here we are voting and the reason this shutdown is happening

is because Chuck Schumer and the Democrats care more about the radical open border extremists than they do about doing their job and it's resulting in a lot of people hurting right now.

Greta, you're assuming that the two parties are reasonable.

The Democrats want a shutdown, and I'll tell you candidly, I think they're happy to shut down the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the year.

We had just a week ago, Brian Schatz, who's considered the Democrat leader in waiting, he told a reporter, he said, we are serene.

That's the word he used, serene about the DHS shutdown.

And mind you, we have had four terror attacks from radical Islamic terrorists in the last two weeks.

We have a heightened risk of terror attacks right now, and the Democrats keep voting to defund the agency that is designed to prevent terror attacks.

It is reckless and irresponsible.

From the Republican side, do you know that for two and a half weeks,

the democrats refused even to sit down and talk with the white house they just voted no no now in their position as we won't talk to you we're not interested to compromise our answer is no shut it down we don't care it is not this it this is the equivalent of political terrorism and and by the way granted if you look to the last shutdown

The last shutdown was right before the election last year.

It was the Schumer shutdown.

It was 43 days.

It was the longest shutdown in American history.

Do you know what one Democrat aide told a reporter during that shutdown?

That Democrat aide said, we will keep the government shut down until airplanes begin falling from the skies.

Look, that is wildly irresponsible and reckless.

And you know why they get away with it?

They get away with it because they're confident that the press will do, Greta, with respect, what you just did.