A government shutdown is a lose-lose situation for both political parties and, more important, for the American people, Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., told Newsmax on Friday.
“I mean, the simple answer is let’s pass the clean CR,” Graves said on “American Agenda,” referring to a continuing resolution to keep the government funded.
“Then let’s go to the table and negotiate all of these points that Senator Schumer wants and the Democrats want and Republicans want. That’s what we normally do. That’s regular order, and that’s what we should be doing.”
Graves’ comments come on the 38th day of the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, and two days after the Federal Aviation Administration said it was taking the extraordinary step of reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain.
“I don’t think anybody wins, to be quite honest with you, when you are in a shutdown situation,” Graves said.
“Obviously the American people are the ones that are suffering. Air traffic controllers are suffering. People that expect their nutrition programs are suffering.
“And I think it’s unfortunate that they’re being used as pawns in this whole process, that politics are more important than fixing this.”
Graves, a key member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has often positioned himself as a pragmatic conservative focused on governance over political theater. His remarks echoed similar warnings from other Republican lawmakers who fear a shutdown could backfire politically and harm critical government functions.
“I don’t think Republicans win. I don’t think Democrats win,” he said. “Ultimately, everybody’s going to get mad.”
Graves’ call for a “clean CR” — a temporary funding measure without additional policy provisions — mirrors the position of some senators who have emphasized bipartisanship in ending a shutdown.
Democrats on Friday outlined a new proposal: attaching a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies to a spending stopgap that would reopen agencies.
Republicans, though, have warned that the government has to be reopened before Democrats get any vote on ACA subsidies.
“This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability and begins a process of negotiating reforms to the ACA tax credits for the future,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on the Senate floor.
“Now the ball is in the Republicans’ court. We need Republicans to just say yes.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota called it a “nonstarter.”
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