Rep. Polis Responds To Cruz's Filibuster With A Poem Of His Own
DENVER (CBS4) - Time is running out to pass a spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown on Tuesday.
On Sunday House and Senate lawmakers hit the Sunday talk shows to blame each other for the budget impasse and Colorado lawmakers also had a lot to say, with one responding with a poem.
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colorado is currently in New York. His response to the potential partial government shutdown came in the form of a poem, and a response to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas' filibuster last week.
"I do not like it when Obamacare repeal he tries to ram, or says to breast cancer survivors, 'sorry ma'am,' " Polis wrote. "I do not like Ted Cruz reading 'Green Eggs and Ham' and shutting down government without giving a damn."
The House voted along party lines early Sunday to support a bill that delays Obamacare for one year and repeals a tax on medical devices. If that happens the shutdown would be prevented, but Senate leader Harry Reid has said it won't happen and so the gridlock continues.
"This House proposal is dead on arrival and the Republicans are leading us right down the road to the closing of government, midnight Monday," Polis said.
Republican Rep. Cory Gardner from Colorado does not believe a government shut is inevitable.
"In fact, 79 senators voted in favor of eliminating the medical device tax," Gardner said.
"I want to work with Congressman Gardner and others on repealing the medical device tax, but not hold the entire U.S. government hostage to it," Polis said. "That simply makes no sense, let's keep government open, then we'll move on in improving health care."
Gardner is optimistic that if the Senate majority leader allows the Senate to vote on the House bill, a compromise with Republicans on when to begin Obamacare is possible.
"Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, supports the delay," Gardner said. "We hear there are others and we know there are Democrats in the House majority that support the one-year delay."
Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton of southwestern Colorado issued a statement saying, "I have received a strong message from my constituents: keep government open and stop the Obamacare train wreck in the most effective way possible. Obamacare is already hurting jobs in my district."
On the flip-side, Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Arvada responded to the latest House vote by saying, "House Republicans are forcing one sham vote after another. This is no way to run our country."
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet from Colorado believes the latest House plan is irresponsible and said, "This kind of brinksmanship is senseless political posturing that does nothing more than hurt our fragile economic recovery and our flood recovery efforts."
The Senate convenes Monday at noon mountain time. Reid is expected to kill the House version that delays Obamacare.
GOP leaders in the House say that once they receive the Senate bill, the House will bounce another measure right back to the Senate, but they haven't said what it'll contain.
A government shutdown could happen Tuesday.
