Lawmaker Signals Fellow Dems Would ‘Shut Down Gov’t to Save It’ in the Face of ‘Elon Musk and His DOGE Frat Bros’

MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart on Sunday wondered aloud whether Democrats will be “willing to shut down the government to save it” when the deadline comes up on Friday, as a vote on the GOP’s proposed continuing resolution, or CR, stopgap measure coming this week. His guest, Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Brendan Boyle, signaled that they are willing to do just that.

Capehart spoke with Boyle on the latest edition of The Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart on MNSBC ahead of the CR going before the House Rules Committee on Monday and a possible floor vote on the measure Tuesday.

Democrats have expressed their unwillingness to cooperate with the stopgap intended to keep the government running on the grounds of their disagreement with how President Donald Trump and Republicans are utilizing the budget, and frequently cite Elon Musk and DOGE as reason to balk, as Boyle, a member of the Ways and Means committee, did in his interview with Capehart.

In introducing the Congressman, Capehart made a point of noting the 99-page length of the C.R. in addition to foreshadowing the argument that Republicans are not up to any good.

Boyle began his remarks by saying that any shutdown of government will be “because Republicans want one,” and he ended his remarks by saying he would not vote to prevent said shutdown. In between, he explained that he can’t “in good conscience” support keeping the government open because Trump and Republicans, as well as Musk and “his DOGE frat bros” can’t be trusted with the government budget, anyway.

“How can I be expected to cast a vote this Friday when I know that the very next day, on Saturday, Elon Musk and his DOGE frat bros could show up and shut down the agency that I just voted to fund?” he asked rhetorically. “Until that all of that is resolved, I certainly couldn’t be a yes vote in good conscience.

CAPEHART: We know Republicans aren’t trying to strengthen the American safety net, but the real question on Capitol Hill this week will be this: Are Democrats willing to shut down the government to save it?

Joining me now, Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, he’s the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Boyle, as always, thank you for coming to the Sunday show. So have you had a chance to read the 99-page C.R.? And if so, what are your thoughts?

BOYLE: Well, first, just to set the stage for this, I want to make it clear that Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate, and they, of course, control the White House. If there is a government shutdown, it will be because Republicans want one. That’s number one. Number two, we are already in a government shutdown or at least a partial government shutdown.

That’s the case of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That’s the case at USAID. That’s the case for researchers right here in Philadelphia, who had been relying on NIH grants in order to research cancer. All of that has immediately dried up thanks to the illegal actions of this administration, led by Elon Musk.

So my position is exactly the same as Leader Jeffries and my colleague Rosa DeLauro and my other Democratic colleagues. We want to fix all of this. But certainly, if we don’t believe that we have a willing partner on the other side, it’s quite clear right now we don’t. then we need to stay united and not bail out President Trump and Speaker Johnson.

CAPEHART: Now, one of the concerns among Democrats is that this bill will will cut benefits and Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. House Republican aides have told The Washington Post that the cuts will not touch those programs, will not touch Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Do you believe them?

BOYLE: Well, and rather than trying to take their word for it, I would rather look at their record. Literally, Jonathan, just a week and a half ago. Every House Republican, except for Thomas Massie, voted to cut Medicaid by $880 billion. This past week at my direction and request, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that these would be hundreds of billions of dollars worth the Medicaid, the largest in American history. So we already know that they are for Medicaid cuts because they’ve already done it.

CAPEHART: Congressman, and another Democratic concern was articulated today by Senator Elissa Slotkin on Meet the Press today. Listen to it and we’ll talk about it on the other side.

SLOTKIN (TAPE): Everyone knows Congress has the power of the purse. So I just until I see some assurances that whatever we pass next week is going to ensure that the money is spent the way Congress intends. I’m going to I’m going to hold withhold my vote until I see that.

CAPEHART: And that’s a Senator Slotkin from from Michigan. Congressman Boyle isn’t that a real concern that no matter what Congress passes in terms of a CR or any budget bill, that the White House isn’t going to spend the money in the way that Congress intended?

BOYLE: Oh, it’s more than a concern. We’re already seeing it now. That’s what I meant when I said we’re in a partial government shutdown. You know, all of those areas that I talked about, NIH grants, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, USAID, etc. those are all programs and agencies legally and lawfully funded by Congress that now Donald Trump and Elon Musk are blocking.

So, how can I be expected to cast a vote this Friday when I know that the very next day, on Saturday, Elon Musk and his DOGE frat bros could show up and shut down the agency that I just voted to fund. So up until that all of that is resolved, I certainly couldn’t be a yes vote in good conscience.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.