Kentucky's 1st District U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield says his fellow Republicans have made it known to President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that they want to reach a compromise over the federal government shutdown. But Whitfield says the Democrats are trying to win political points.
“The leadership of both parties met yesterday at the White House,” Whitfield said Friday via conference call. “And that was, ‘Look, let’s sit down and have a discussion about this.’ And at this point, the president and Harry Reid believe they’re winning the publicity war and they’re not willing to talk.”
The House has passed several individual appropriation bills that would allow segments of the government to continue operation, but Whitfield said the Democratic-controlled Senate refuses to take them up. Thus far, the House has passed bills funding the National Park Service and the National Institutes of Health, among others.
Whitfield said the House will soon take up 10 further individual appropriation bills for federal agencies, including the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.