Democratic Rep Says He’s Unsure If Boehner Or Heritage Is Calling The Shots In The GOP

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After the House GOP’s efforts to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling flopped, a Democratic congressman said Wednesday it’s unclear to him who’s leading Republicans in the lower chamber.

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) lamented that the House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) proposals fizzled repeatedly on Tuesday after drawing pushback from conservatives.

Heritage Action, the political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, announced Tuesday that it opposed the House GOP’s plan to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling, a move that left Cummings wondering who calls the shots in GOP circles.

“I think I know [Boehner] fairly well. I think the John Boehner that I know would not allow that to happen,” Cummings said. “But I got to tell you, when you have the Heritage Foundation, Heritage Action, call to say that they are going to scuttle the legislation he tried to put on the floor last night and within 20 minutes — 20 minutes —after the Heritage Foundation says we’re not going along with this, they pull the bill, I don’t know who I’m dealing with. And I think it’s very sad.”

 

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