Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Wednesday that Senate Republicans have no reason to negotiate with Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown.
"We have nothing to negotiate," he told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
Mullin said Republicans will stand firm.
"The thing is, is that Republicans, we're not going to give an inch," he said.
He explained that the continuing resolution Democrats are voting against — a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open while spending negotiations continue — contains the same language as the one written by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., when he was majority leader.
"Keep in mind, this was written last year when Chuck Schumer was leader of the Senate and Joe Biden was in office," Mullin said.
He continued: "So what we're asking them to vote on is the exact thing he [Schumer] wrote. So I don't understand their position. why they got the government shut down, other than political optics."
Mullin said two events coming up may soften some Democrats' opposition to a short-term budget solution.
"I think one event's going to happen tomorrow when the federal employees aren't paid," he said.
Mullin said that may get the phones ringing in the offices of Senate Democrats.
"That's going to really look bad because the president's taking care of federal law enforcement, taking care of [the] military, the federal workers who the Democrats say they're trying to protect."
The other, he said, is "the No Kings rally that Chuck Schumer has literally been open about, that the optics of opening it [the government] up before that anti-Trump rally doesn't look good for him."
Either way, Mullin said, things should be clearer after the end of the month if the shutdown lasts that long, when insurance companies begin to react to the situation, which may bring added pressure to end the stalemate.
The federal government remained shut down as of Oct. 15, entering its third week.
The Senate held its ninth vote on Wednesday to advance the stopgap continuing resolution, but it again failed to reach the 60-vote threshold, leaving the stalemate unresolved.
Schumer argued that the resolution lacked sufficient guarantees for policies supported by Democrats, especially for healthcare.
He warned that people will die without substantive commitments.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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