Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Newsmax on Tuesday he doubts the Senate will reach the 60 votes needed on Wednesday to advance a stopgap funding measure, accusing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of deliberately seeking a government shutdown for political theater.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is planning a vote Wednesday morning to reopen the government after three Democrats sided with Republicans on the continuing resolution to keep the government open in a vote that fell five votes shy.
On “Greg Kelly Reports” with guest host Todd Starnes, however, Marshall said he doesn’t think the votes will be there, adding that Schumer is orchestrating a “drama plan” designed to keep Washington in gridlock through the weekend.
“I don’t know that we’re going to get to 60 yet,” Marshall said. “I think that Chuck Schumer has a drama plan, probably to keep the government shut down over the weekend and to appease his base. And suddenly, he’ll see the light next week, hopefully before anybody misses their paychecks.”
Marshall argued that Schumer is motivated less by policy than by media attention.
“He wants the drama. He loves the camera,” Marshall said. “He’ll be in front of the camera all weekend stirring things up as well. But at the end of the day, the American public knows that this shutdown is resting on Chuck Schumer’s shoulders.”
Marshall said he is ready to negotiate but that Democrats are focused on the wrong priorities. Instead of pushing to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies, Marshall said lawmakers should be addressing the root problem: rising healthcare costs.
“We should be talking about driving down the cost of healthcare instead of these ‘Obamacare’ subsidies,” he said. “Let’s attack the real problem: the cost of healthcare.”
Marshall pointed to legislation he has backed that would require hospitals to post prices upfront, empowering patients to act more like consumers.
“Could you imagine that? So we can let patients become consumers again,” Marshall said, also urging reforms to pharmacy benefit managers, which he argued drive up drug prices.
For Marshall, Schumer’s tactics are just another partisan delay at a time when bipartisan cooperation is needed.
“There are so many good things we could be working on,” he said. “And this is another weeklong stall from Chuck Schumer.”
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