Tom Cole of Oklahoma said threats from his colleagues Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz to shut down the government over Obamacare are "counterproductive."
Republican Senators Mike Lee of Utah, and Ted Cruz of Texas seem to be upping the ante on shutting down the federal government over Obamacare, despite a growing number of their GOP colleagues condemning the tactic.
“If we’re going to defund Obamacare, now is the time we can actually get it done,” Cruz said in an interview Monday.
Last week, House Deputy Whip, Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma told that this kind of take-no-prisoners approach was the “political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum.”
Cole joined NOW with Alex Wagner Monday to discuss the shutdown strategy proposed by his fellow party-members and its potential consequences for the GOP and the American people.
“I agree with what they’re trying to do; they’re just doing it the wrong way,” Cole said, “but shutting down the government is a suicidal political tactic. Eventually it will be reopened but the president will not have capitulated, and you will have discredited yourself, and along the way you will have hurt the American people.”
If the government shuts down, Cole pointed out, one consequence is that a lot of workers will get furloughed. “Who’s going to man Veteran’s hospitals, who’s going to make sure the defense work gets done,” Cole asked, “who’s going to take care of Indian Reservation health care and schools?”
“Those are federal responsibilities and shutting down the government for a goal that you can’t achieve that way is just counterproductive,” Cole said.
