Republicans have been demanding negotiations over the government shutdown. A few minutes ago, President Obama gave in to their demand. In a private meeting with House leaders, he said:
Let's negotiate. I understand that you want to repeal Obamacare, or at least delay it for a year. Now let me tell you what I want:
- I want universal health care, with a public option, the way it should have been all along.
- I want universal background checks for gun purchases, including gun shows and everything else.
- I want comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship, plus immediate legal status for dreamers.
- I want you to re-authorize the Voting Rights Act, including a new and improved preclearance provision.
- I want you to repeal the debt-ceiling law, totally and permanently. If you don't want debt, raise revenue to cover the bills you've run up.
- I want you to authorize closing Guantánamo.
- I want a law that requires all corporations -- including non-profits -- to disclose all their donors.
- I want an immediate end to the ridiculously regressive "carried interest" tax loophole, the one that Mitt Romney made famous.
- I want an immediate end to all the tax loopholes that Big Oil exploits.
- On top of that, I want a carbon tax.
- I want funding for Head Start at 120% of pre-sequester levels.
- I want funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation at 120% of pre-sequester levels.
I want to see all of that in the CR, as a precondition for ending the government shutdown. If you don't give me what I want, I will veto anything and everything you send me.
Y'all run along now and explain that to your base. Come back tomorrow and we'll negotiate some more.
Yes, but this would require that we elected Josiah Bartlet in 2012.
Posted by: BruceJ | October 05, 2013 at 08:08 AM
Sure, why not. Pass what WE want or we hold the the Country hostage.
Posted by: Frances Perkins | October 05, 2013 at 09:14 AM