Capito: It’s chaos in GOP-controlled House of Representatives as shutdown looms
Trending
WASHINGTON -- It doesn't look good, but U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is hopeful a government shutdown can be averted.
"Right now, I'm a little pessimistic," she said.
Congress is looking at a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government open. The last shutdown was from December 2018 to January 2019.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in a tug of war with Republican hardliners who are resisting a new plan to keep the government operating for another month that includes additional spending cuts and new security efforts for the southern border.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives couldn't agree Thursday to move on a defense funding bill Republicans wrote, Capito, R-W.Va., said.
While not naming the names of representatives in the House who are responsible, Capito said it's "chaos over there, quite frankly."
"I believe they are all members who have never been through a shutdown," Capito said during her weekly press conference from Washington with West Virginia reporters.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky Tuesday cautioned House Republicans that a shutdown is going to hurt the party.
"There will be a strong reaction to this," Capito said.
Capito said she attended a briefing with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and she remains committed to more munitions for the Ukrainians in their war against Russia.
She also discussed increasing numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border from Mexico, raising the federal minimum wage and a resolution she sponsored to award tennis star Billie Jean King a Congressional Gold Medal.
King throughout her athletic career has championed equal rights for women athletes and pay and prize equality. King also beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match 50 years ago, the anniversary of which was on Wednesday.
"I just think she's iconic," Capito said.
Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.