MSNBC’s Chris Jansing did not allow Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) to downplay the human cost of a government shutdown by reminding him that many Americans live “paycheck to paycheck.”
Good said it could take “another week or two into October if we continue this pace, to finish our spending bills, and that’s what we ought to do. That’s what Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy promised the American people and the Republican Conference when he became speaker.”
“Let’s talk about what happens to Americans in the meantime,” Jansing said. “Are there consequences — I mean, first of all, we know there are consequences on people who will not get their bills paid, but what about the political consequences in your own state?”
GOOD: Well, as I’m sure you know, 85% of operations continue. Only about 15% of the government actually shuts down, what’s considered nonessential. Federal employees are always back paid whatever pay that was delayed —JANSING: But what do you do in the meantime? A great number of Americas live check to paycheck —GOOD: A good number of Republicans, a good number of Republicans should be concerned about whether or not we do what we told the American people we’d do —JANSING: Congressman, you know this, Americans live paycheck to paycheck —GOOD: When we ask for their vote, we ought to do the things that we campaigned on, and we
ought to execute on the difference we promised the American people we would make.So, Virginia Republicans, delegates and Senate candidates need Republicans in Congress to show the way and actually do what we said we would do and be who we say we are.JANSING: So you don’t think that the people who will not get paid and who live paycheck to paycheck, you think it’s okay to have that as a casualty for what you see as a greater good?GOOD: Well, I just told you, we should have passed our spending bills in June, July and August. We shouldn’t have created this crisis of the calendar by a failure to do that. The Senate and the House.It’s interesting how the question is always, “Why are House Republicans gonna shut down the government?” Why aren’t you asking why Chuck Schumer is shutting down the government by not passing his spending bills and not agreeing to what the American people elected a House majority to do?
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.