Speaker Boehner & House Republicans Work to Distract Americans

House Republicans are set to pass a FY 2016 Defense of Defense Appropriations bill that fails to deal with dire impact of the sequester, including the significant cuts it brings to domestic spending.

As Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said:

…Democrats stand for a strong national defense.  That is why we support lifting the sequester and fully funding the President's defense budget request.

As with the Republican Defense authorization bill, the Defense appropriation bill is bad budgeting and harmful to military planning – perpetuating uncertainty and instability in the defense budget, and damaging the military's ability to plan and prepare for the future.

Republicans should come together with Democrats in a fiscally responsible way to protect our national security and grow our economy.

But Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are so desperate to distract Americans from their irresponsible budget gimmicksthat they've begun a new public relations stunt.  According to Republicans, Democrats want to shut down the government.

Nice try.  Perhaps the Washington Post's Paul Waldman summarized it best:

…Republicans essentially want to evade their half of the pain.  They passed a defense authorization bill that used gimmicks to get around the cuts and increase the military budget (by classifying a healthy chunk of it as "emergency" spending).  But they still want to see the domestic cuts occur…

When Speaker Boehner and Republicans talk about a "government shutdown," it means that they plan to cause the same dysfunction, obstruction and distraction they've manufactured in the past:

• Real Clear Politics – Steve King Okay With A Government Shutdown Over Budget  [3/14/2011]

• The Atlantic – Republicans Shut Down the Government for Nothing  [10/16/2013]

• USA Today – Republicans blame each other after shutdown fiasco  [10/20/2013] 

• The Atlantic – Will Republicans Shut Down the Government Again?  [8/27/2014]

• Talking Points Memo – Why Republicans Can't Quit The Government Shutdown Game  [11/18/2014]

• Washington Post – Republicans struggle to avoid Homeland Security shutdown  [2/12/2015]

• Mother Jones – Republicans Are Already Prepping for Possible Government Shutdown in the Fall  [3/6/2015]