Who would be to blame for a government shutdown caused by a fight over funding levels?
Republicans of course.
Little has changed in the past two years when it comes to how the public views a spending fight that shutters government operations, a Quinnipiac University poll revealed Monday.
According to the survey, 69 percent of respondents oppose “shutting down the government over differences about federal government funding.” It’s an indiscernible drop from two years ago, when 72 percent said they oppose a shutdown.
Americans are just as likely to blame the GOP if a shutdown happens, Quinnipiac found, with 41 percent predicting they’d blame Republicans, compared to 33 percent who would pin the responsibility on the Democrats.
In 2013, those numbers were 44 to 35, respectively, a CBS news poll found following an October 2013 government closure that followed a spending fight between the two parties.
The latest poll numbers are likely to encourage efforts by Republican leaders in both the House and Senate to dodge a politically damaging funding fight by blocking efforts to attach a “rider” to the legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood. Some conservatives are pushing to strip federal funding from the organization as part of the annual appropriations process following the release of a series of videos that show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal body parts.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said repeatedly he will not engage in a possible shutdown battle with Democrats and President Obama, who would likely veto any legislation that attempts to strip funding from the organization.
Democrats said the latest “blame” poll numbers should encourage the Republicans to sit down now and negotiate higher spending levels that do not adhere to mandated budget caps.
Democrats have been blocking spending bills over the caps, but are nonetheless trying to portray the Republicans as standing in the way clearing the legislation.
“This dangerous game of shutting down the government caused deep disruption in the lives of American workers, their families and businesses small and large back in 2013,” a statement from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. “Our country cannot afford another GOP-manufactured crisis.”
Federal funding expires at the end of September, and Congress is on recess until Sept. 8.
