Rep. Craig Goldman to Newsmax: Dems' Troops Vote 'Makes No Sense'

It "absolutely makes no sense" that Democrats rejected pay to military members during the federal shutdown that their party started, Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Friday.

Appearing in studio on "Wake Up America," Goldman criticized Senate Democrats for refusing a measure that would have kept government operations running and ensured federal workers and service members continued to be paid.

"Can you believe it? I mean, you really can’t make this up," he told host Sharla McBride. "Senate Democrats [voted] not to pay troops, not to pay their own employees who work for them on Capitol Hill, not to pay TSA agents, not to pay air traffic controllers.

"It absolutely makes no sense.

"And it’s all because of [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.]— the true Schumer shutdown.”

Goldman said Schumer was protecting "his left woke base" because he fears a potential primary challenge. He argued the standoff was politically motivated rather than driven by policy.

"It’s all because he's scared of a primary next election," Goldman said.

The Texas Republican, a freshman lawmaker, said the House had done its part to avoid a shutdown.

"Right now, there is no end in sight. And again, it’s not on the House because the House voted to keep the government open," he said.

"We voted to keep the troops paid, the TSA agents, everybody — all the employees on Capitol Hill, all the federal workers."

Goldman warned that the real impact of the shutdown would be felt when missed paychecks start arriving.

"Nov. 1, that’s when it begins," he said.

"That’s when they truly miss their first paycheck. And it’s up to the Democrats in the Senate to decide whether or not they want to continue paying the federal workers or not."

He added that his constituents understand who is responsible.

"My constituents see that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate are the ones having the shutdown," Goldman said.

"I've got a joint reserve base in my district. We made it very clear to them … they know who’s to blame for this shutdown and why they possibly may miss paychecks."

Goldman also dismissed the Democrats' stated reasons for opposing the funding measure, calling them "manufactured."

"It just doesn’t make any sense," he said.

"A month ago … not one person mentioned the Obamacare issue — the tax breaks on Obamacare. That’s not until December when those expire. So that wasn’t even brought up a month ago.

"It’s only when the bill went to the Senate did Chuck Schumer manufacture a reason why they can’t vote for it."

The congressman also criticized House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., for saying the shutdown gave Democrats needed "leverage" in negotiations.

"Using the American people, making them suffer strictly for the leverage to negotiate … something that doesn’t expire until December," Goldman said.

"They created this, and now they want to go back and renegotiate it. But … she said it’s OK for people to suffer so that they have the leverage."

Finally, Goldman said he’s never seen such animosity toward a president as Democrats show toward President Donald Trump.

"Never, never, never," he said.

"You may disagree on policy and issues … but you never hate someone so bad that you’re willing to make the American people suffer so that you have leverage over someone you hate so much."

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