Democrats have caused a government shutdown to appease their far-left base, even as the move is "inflicting pain on the American people" and harming the U.S. economy, Rep. Mike Lawler told Newsmax on Friday.
"Democrats have no plan on how to get out of the shutdown that they created," the New York Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
He further accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of having "kowtowed" to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, claiming they are "petrified of a primary challenge from the left."
Meanwhile, the shutdown is halting key services such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and leaving federal workers and members of the military without pay, the congressman pointed out.
"The Democrats [are] voting repeatedly not only to shut the government down, but then, when given the opportunity to pay our troops, are voting no," said Lawler. "It is shameful. It is wrong."
The congressman blasted Democrats' strategy as politically motivated and said that House Minority Whip Katherine Clark's comments earlier this week that the shutdown is "leverage" for her party were "pathetic."
"Go out and win an election on the merits," Lawler said. "Win an election on your ideas rather than trying to sow dysfunction and chaos and destruction to our economy."
The United States, he added, is "losing roughly $15 billion a day in GDP growth because of this stunt by Democrats."
Lawler also agreed with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's criticism of Democrats' handling of healthcare policy on Friday.
Leavitt has claimed that Democrats are "holding the government and the American people hostage over a healthcare system that they created."
"Since Obamacare took effect back in 2010, premiums have skyrocketed across the country," Lawler said.
"The federal government picks up roughly 78% of the healthcare premiums with the ACA, enhanced tax credits, and subsidies that were put in place by President [Joe] Biden during COVID," he noted. "The federal government picks up roughly 88% of these premiums."
He added that the Affordable Care Act failed to achieve its goals.
"Healthcare premiums continue to rise under Obamacare because it didn't do what it was intended to do, which was actually reduce healthcare costs, increase access, and create economies of scale. That has not happened," Lawler said.
Turning to New York City's mayoral race, Lawler warned that a victory by Mamdani would have dire consequences.
"Unfortunately, so long as it's a three-person race, I think Zohran is likely going to win — an avowed socialist engaged in Marxist theory, who wants to raise taxes by $9 billion on New Yorkers," said Lawler.
He added that Mamdani, two weeks ago, was raising money for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, "an organization whose members were involved in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed not only Israelis, but Americans and New Yorkers."
Mamdani "doesn't call on Hamas to lay down its arms, but wants to arrest Bibi Netanyahu," he continued.
"This is a disaster for New York. It's a disaster for our country. But sadly, he's on the verge of winning."
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