By STEPHANIE PENN
SENATOR MCCONNELL – CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the unsuccessful rollout of Obamacare and the need for Senate Democrats to negotiate a solution to end the federal shutdown that they created:
“Well, if it wasn’t clear earlier this week why Republicans were asking to delay Obamacare, it should be pretty clear to everybody this morning. The rollout of this thing made a trip to the DMV look like a good time.
“The word of the day was ‘glitch.’ And you could probably explain one or two of those glitches away. Maybe three. But not glitches in Nebraska and Maryland and Florida and Wisconsin and Illinois and Kentucky.
“Not glitches all across the country.
“Kentuckians who tried to log in yesterday got a message that read: ‘Server Error.’
“Let me translate that: it didn’t work.
“I mean, if the plural of anecdote is data, it seems to me the plural of glitch has to be systemic failure.
“This is the law that Washington Democrats were so adamant about unveiling yesterday, they were willing to shut down the government over it.
“Instead of agreeing to a couple of common-sense proposals related to this law, they stuck to their absolutist position: 100 percent of Obamacare, when and how they want it, no matter what.
“That is, of course, unless the President thinks you’re one of the ‘chosen few’ who deserves a special break.
“So, basically, Washington Democrats shut down the government because they didn’t think middle-class Americans deserved the same kind of treatment as their employers, and because they didn’t think Congress should have to follow the same rules on the Obamacare exchanges as everybody else.
“These were fair things to ask for. They were reasonable. And if the Democrats who run Washington could have brought themselves to be that sensible, they would have voted to keep the government open.
“But in the end, they got their shutdown, which they apparently think will help them politically. And they held onto their absolutist position on Obamacare — regardless of the consequences for American families.
“And two days into this thing, they still refuse to budge.
“The President reiterated again yesterday he’s not interested in talking.
“The Majority Leader has made it clear he’s not interested in talking either.
“He’s shot down just about every attempt to engage in serious discussions – with the House, or anyone else.
“Look: This week, Washington Democrats had a choice – defend basic principles of fairness when it comes to Obamacare, or shut down the government.
“They chose the latter. It was wrong. And it’s time for them to start finding solutions, to start talking, and put the interests of their constituents ahead of the interests of their party.”
Editor’s Note: This article was received from the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell. Its contents do not reflect the opinions of the Cento or the Cento staff.