'Grow a spine': Kevin McCarthy urged to stand up to 'extremists in the House'

Earlier this year, the United States avoided defaulting on its debt obligations when President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked out a bipartisan debt ceiling agreement. But the U.S. is now in danger of a government shutdown, and McCarthy is facing intense pressure from members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro didn't mince words when discussing the budget battle during a Tuesday, September 19 appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." And he urged McCarthy to stand up to the far-right members of his caucus.

Shapiro told hosts Joe Scarborough (a former GOP congressman and Never Trump conservative) and Mika Brzezinski, "I'm hoping Kevin McCarthy will maybe grow a spine at some point and be able to lead that House forward..... The extremists in the House need to moderate."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

The Pennsylvania governor warned that no good will come of a shutdown.

"If they fail to meet their obligation to the states," Shapiro told Scarbrough and Brzezinski, "it will be really devastating for us. It'll mean folks who rely on the federal government for all kinds of services —f rom mental health to, you know, children who need extra support to public safety. Those things won't be funded. It's going to put an incredible burden on the states."

READ MORE:Republicans in disarray as government shutdown fight looms: report

Watch the video below or at this link.

Registering to vote in Pennsylvania just got easierwww.youtube.com