WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito is winding down her time in the House of Representatives and doesn’t believe any lines need to be drawn in the sand at least until the new Congress convenes in January.
A spending plan is being considered on Capital Hill. Debate on similar legislation last year resulted in a shutdown of the government. Capito isn’t interested in going down that road again.
“I’m not willing to shutdown the government at all. I think it was an ill fated strategy when we tried it before,” Capito said in a recent appearance on MetroNews Talkline. “What happens when you shut down the government? You’re going to have to reopen it, we all know that.”
But some of Capito’s fellow Republicans would like to use the federal budget debate as a means to reverse the President’s executive order on immigration reform. Capito said it’s better to wait until the new Congress is in place.
“By holding back Homeland Security, that will give us some flexibility through March for the new Congress to figure out ways to rein the President back in,” she said. “It’s an issue that really should be handled in the legislative process through the House and Senate.”
Capito, who’ll become U.S. Senator in January, said she’s confident in the leadership of Mitch McConnell and believed the Kentucky Republican Senator has a commitment to work and not obstruct.
“I think he’s committed to having a working Senate that debates these issues,” she said. “Let’s see if that works first. That’s the strategy the voters voted for in November.”