Republican Rep. Jim Jordan on Wednesday argued that if the government does shut down Friday due to lack of funding, the Democrats will be to blame for prioritizing amnesty over funding of the military.
“It’s on the Democrats,” he said, speaking on “Cuomo Prime Time.” “We can pass something in the House. If it goes over to the Senate … because of this crazy filibuster rule … Chuck Schumer and Democrats say ‘amnesty is more important than giving our troops a pay raise. Amnesty is more important than funding our military, getting the weapons systems upgraded.’ … Then that’s on them.”
Jordan was responding to a question from anchor Chris Cuomo: “If the government shuts down, it’s on you. True or false?”
Later in the interview, Cuomo challenged Jordan’s definition of amnesty, asking “can a ten-year-old form criminal intent?”
“Can a ten-year-old come here illegally through their parents?” Jordan responded. “Yes.”
Lawmakers must reach an agreement on a budget plan before the Friday deadline when government funding runs out, but demands from each side of the aisle are impeding progress on negotiations.
For a spending deal, Republicans want to secure a long-term increase in Pentagon funding, while Democrats feel pressure not to agree to such a plan unless it ensures protections for recipients of the expiring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
GOP leaders don’t anticipate finalizing any deal in time for the deadline, and are instead proposing a stopgap funding bill to avoid a shutdown on Friday as the talks continue. It’s unclear if they have the votes to pass such a bill.