CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, said the first step toward ending the political stalemate on Capitol Hill is to fully reopen the government.
MetroNews file photo
“We have to open it with a clean CR (continuing resolution),” said Tennant on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
After that, she said, negotiations involving all sides could begin on a long term spending plan that would also include raising the debt ceiling before the Oct. 17 deadline.
“We cannot go into default. We’ve never done that in our country’s history. We cannot do that,” she said.
Tennant said there have been plenty of missed chances for negotiations involving Democrats and Republicans before now, more than a week into the partial federal government shutdown.
“As I watch and as I read and as I follow this, there were a lot of opportunities for both sides to negotiate and now, here we are, coulda, woulda, shoulda,” she said.
“We needed to have the negotiations at that period, long before the deadline, and long before the deadline takes place of Oct. 17.”
President Barack Obama has proposed temporarily reopening the government and raising the debt limit and, only then, beginning longer-term budget negotiations.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner has rejected that and has, instead, called on Democrats to negotiate on additional GOP terms before a House vote on a full spending bill.
Tennant launched her U.S. Senate campaign last month. If she wins the Democratic nomination in the May Primary Election, she’ll likely face Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito in the 2014 November General Election.
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Comments
grey4449
17 Trillion in debt. OBAMACARE IS KILLING PEOPLES POCKETS. Natalie wants to go right with King Obama and give him what he wants. He will never quit on Obamacare. Just another follow the Obama trail politician.
October 9, 2013 at 3:25 pm | Report comment
WV Citizen
This is similiar to what the right wing said about the Family Medicial Leave Act. The debt is coming down! However, your pay, if you have a job, is not going up!
Keep buying articles/clothing etc. from China, Vietnam and India. Soon the Repudumblets will have all manufacturing jobs overseas!
Buy AMERICAN and send a message to Capito that we deserve better!
October 9, 2013 at 10:45 pm | Report comment
MTNR
The comments on this board are hilarious! Shelley is part of the problem and people here are defending her. A vote for the do-nothing Shelley More Crapito is a vote against the future of West Virginia.
October 9, 2013 at 3:06 pm | Report comment
Bigfish
I agree that she has done absolutely nothing for thirteen years but I prefer Shelley Moore Bush to Crapito.
October 9, 2013 at 4:47 pm | Report comment
WV Citizen
how many bills have Capito sponsered? How about co-sponsed? She is not for the typicial West Virginian!
Anybody would be better than the status quo!
Just say NO to Capito!
October 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm | Report comment
James
Natalie, you sure you want to be a part of what's going on in D.C. !!
October 9, 2013 at 2:32 pm | Report comment
PMQ
Hoppy, it might not be too late....check with John Raese, he might give you permission, you might still have time to be Natalie's campaign manager. You seem to be infatuated. She is an EMPTY suit.
October 9, 2013 at 2:30 pm | Report comment
Magic Mike
She will be nothing more then a rubber stamp for Obama. I really hope she does not win.
October 9, 2013 at 2:01 pm | Report comment
Charleston,WV
Moody’s response to the gubment shutdown; memo dated Oct. 7 in the Washington Post:
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
October 9, 2013 at 1:51 pm | Report comment
Magic Mike
The government has no choice but to pay it's debts.
October 9, 2013 at 2:02 pm | Report comment
Charleston,WV
“The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt.
October 9, 2013 at 2:11 pm | Report comment
Charleston,WV
"There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default."_ Moody's
(Moody's Investors Service, often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its historical name)........ The company that determines our creditworthiness.
October 9, 2013 at 2:13 pm | Report comment
Dave Rao
Come November 2014, the memory of the Capito Clampdown will still be fresh and the Wall Street Mafia will find out all their cash donations will be for nothing. She'll stick with McConnell to the bitter, bitter end.
October 9, 2013 at 1:49 pm | Report comment
Low Rider
Tennant is obviously trying to weigh in on something she knows little about. She believes that having an opinion makes her savvy on the issue at hand. I think not. Spend a few years in an elected legislative position...then run for either the House or Senate. At present she is not qualified to hold a U.S. Senate seat.
October 9, 2013 at 1:46 pm | Report comment
WV Citizen
Policial history does not support your arguement!
October 9, 2013 at 10:35 pm | Report comment
Curious
Agree!
October 11, 2013 at 1:54 am | Report comment
Damion45
What would motivate Obama to negotiate if they give him everything he wants once? Seems like the Republicans aren't as stupid as he thinks they are.
October 9, 2013 at 1:39 pm | Report comment
Damion45
What would motivate Obama to negotiate if they give him everything he wants now? Seems like the Republicans aren't as stupid as he thinks they are.
This is what I meant ^.
October 9, 2013 at 1:40 pm | Report comment
RogerD
She's even worse than Joe! At least he's talking about placing some kind of limit on the spending. I wish we had a good conservative running in this race.
October 9, 2013 at 1:16 pm | Report comment
TLC
Ms. Tennant sounds just like Prez. Obama. This story reminds me of the fox saying to the chickens, open up the hen house and then we will "talk." I hope the Republicans are not a bunch of chickens.
October 9, 2013 at 1:00 pm | Report comment
Jeff
she is a idiot. rumor has it she was going to file a lawsuit if they didn't give her a chance to try out to be the mountaineer mascot.
October 9, 2013 at 12:52 pm | Report comment
wvman75
This is what Obama said in a speech on the floor of the Senate in 2006 when Bush was asking for the debt ceiling to be raised, like he wants for himself now. With no negotiation:
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
Now, he and the liberals want it raised. I guess the "buck stops here" only applies to everyone who occupies the White House except, of course, him.
Tenant is just another left-wing whack job that will side with the national party to the detriment and interests of West Virginia and it's citizens.
October 9, 2013 at 12:43 pm | Report comment
blugldmn
Actually we have defaulted before, it occurred in the 70's I believe due to a technical error.
Not raising the debt limit does not mean default anyway.
Ms. Tennant is but another tax and spend liberal who will do the bidding of the current corrupt administration.
She has told two lies in just this article or she is just dense, either way we can't afford to elect her to office unless you want 6 years of lies and stupidity.
October 9, 2013 at 12:39 pm | Report comment
RealConservative
They are ALL tax and spend.
Capito is one of the worst because she has made sure she lines her pockets while she does it.
October 9, 2013 at 4:37 pm | Report comment
Jonus Grumby
Any proof of that?
October 9, 2013 at 6:49 pm | Report comment
WV Citizen
Yes, do the research into Capito campaign donations and you'll see the proof! Duh!
October 9, 2013 at 10:33 pm | Report comment
Alum
Hmmm. And Ms. Tennant we've never had $17 Trillion + in debt, with no end to the spending in sight, either.
October 9, 2013 at 12:36 pm | Report comment
mntnman
And that won't change regardless of who is in charge --
October 9, 2013 at 3:58 pm | Report comment
RealConservative
The GOP voted to shut down a portion of the government and pay the workers their full salary back after the shut down is over.
You wonder why we have debt?
October 9, 2013 at 4:32 pm | Report comment
Luke
No one voted to shut down the government. The House passed a budget that didn't pass in the Senate. The Senate passed a budget that didn't pass in the House. The Democrats now won't agree to a conference committee to resolve the differences in the two budgets. But for the partial continuing resolutions which have passed both houses, the government has run out of money.
October 10, 2013 at 2:25 am | Report comment