'You can’t govern!' Tapper cuts off GOP rep after he tries blaming Dems for looming shutdown

20 December 2024

Congress is scrambling to avoid a midnight federal government shutdown deadline, but House Republicans are still ironing out the details of a funding plan that would be able to get enough votes in both chambers of Congress to become law by tonight.

In a Friday evening interview on CNN, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told host Jake Tapper that while any effort to "shut the government down is wrong," he attempted to blame the Democratic-run U.S. Senate and lame-duck President Joe Biden for any potential shutdown that may occur. He lamented that "nobody has heard a word" from the White House despite President-elect Donald Trump being vocal about what he wants in a government funding agreement.

"Where is Joe Biden? he's the sitting president of the United States," Lawler said. "This is why Washington is so broken."

At that point, Tapper cut in. He acknowledged that while he "certainly understand[s]" the point Lawler is making, his party also shares some of the blame for the dysfunction on Capitol Hill, and reminded him that despite Republicans holding the speaker's gavel since 2023, they have been barely able to avoid government shutdowns for the past two years.

"We go through this every single time. Republicans control the House," Tapper said. "You guys can't pass legislation. You can't govern!

"Respectfully, we passed a number of appropriations bills through the house floor," Lawler said, arguing that Senate Democrats hadn't passed any appropriations bills in 2024. "So, yes, i get the frustration. I'm as frustrated as anybody. We have a tight majority, a majority in the House right now. We are currently still in a divided government."

Watch the video of the exchange below, or by clicking this link.

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