He described the move as “outrageous, irresponsible and futile,” accused Republicans of seeking “to appease the Tea Party anarchists” and “using these stunts to raise money and grab headlines.”
“I have said it before but it seems to bear repeating: the Senate will not pass any bill that defunds or delays Obamacare,” he said after the vote.
Read his full statement:
“Republicans are simply postponing for a few days the inevitable choice they must face: pass a clean bill to fund the government, or force a shutdown. I have said it before but it seems to bear repeating: the Senate will not pass any bill that defunds or delays Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act has been the law of the land for three years. Democrats stand ready to work with reasonable people who want to improve it, but Republican attempts to take an entire law hostage simply to appease the Tea Party anarchists are outrageous, irresponsible and futile.
“Republicans here in Washington are using these stunts to raise money and grab headlines, but these are not just games to middle-class families in Nevada and across the country who now face the very real risk of a government shutdown. Sadly, Republicans appear willing to put the nation’s economic recovery at risk to make an ideological point.
“I am glad to see more and more of my moderate Republican colleagues speaking up against the vocal, irrational minority within their ranks. But only time will tell if common sense will prevail.”
