Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that the ongoing government shutdown is likely to extend beyond this week, blaming Democrats for prioritizing politics over the needs of military and law enforcement personnel now working without pay.
Appearing on "National Report," Cornyn said Democrats have shown "disregard" for service members and border security officers caught in the middle of the budget standoff.
"What I'm most concerned about is the disregard that Democrats seem to have for people like our military and our Border Patrol and other ICE officers," Cornyn said. "They continue to work without the prospect of getting paid, and they frankly just don't seem to care."
The Texas Republican said his "suspicion" is that the shutdown "will probably last beyond this week," though he added that Republicans will continue giving Democrats a chance "to do the right thing and vote to reopen the government."
Cornyn emphasized that the GOP-backed plan is a short-term stopgap bill meant to keep the government funded through Nov. 21, providing time for lawmakers to complete the appropriations process for the remainder of the fiscal year.
"This is just a short-term spending bill," he said. "It allows us to do our work when it comes to the appropriations process."
Cornyn accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of putting his own political survival above the country's needs, arguing that internal Democratic divisions are driving the shutdown.
"This is really more about politics and about Chuck Schumer trying to preserve his position as the Democratic leader in the face of the progressive part of his base which is looking to dethrone him," Cornyn said. "He's trying to hang on the best he can. But unfortunately, we're all having to pay the price."
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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