WASHINGTON, D.C. — Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) says it’s beyond time for real negotiations among leaders in Washington, D.C. on a spending bill to fully reopen the federal government along with an increase to the debt ceiling before the U.S. goes into default.
“The question on how to get out of this is for both sides to get in the room, Republicans and Democrats, and give a little to get a little,” said Congresswoman Capito on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
A standoff between Republican leaders in the U.S. House and the White House along with U.S. Senate Democrats continued on Tuesday, one week into the partial federal government shutdown with no end in sight.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Oh.) has repeatedly called on President Barack Obama and other Democrat leaders to commit to negotiations on budget cuts, health care and energy policy.
President Obama has said he “cannot do that under the threat” of a prolonged shutdown or default which, he said, Republicans are trying to use as leverage to “get a hundred percent of what they want.”
Capito said not talking is a problem.
“With the government shutdown and with the looming debt limit, we feel that it’s time for the government to work the way it should, with the Senate and the President and the House sitting down and ironing out differences,” she said.
She said the spending bill and debt ceiling increase could be addressed together by taking a serious look at the U.S. budget.
“I think the most efficient way and, probably, the best way to get both sides together is to say, let’s wrap it in a longer term solution here so we don’t have to deal with this every 30 days,” said Capito.
As of now, the U.S. is scheduled to hit the current debt ceiling of $16.7 trillion next week.