In a rare joint appearance on , the state鈥檚 congressional delegation on Thursday delivered their strongest condemnation to date of the Republican Party as the cause of the government shutdown.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch met with Vermont Edition hosts Bob Kinzel and Jane Lindholm at National Public Radio鈥檚 headquarters in Washington. The three all had strong words about Republicans in Congress.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e acting like children in a sandbox who are fighting,鈥� Leahy said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 throw the baby out with the bathwater. Give us some ideas how they鈥檇 fix it. The fact is, though, they don鈥檛 want to have to vote.鈥�
Sanders, one of two Independents in the Senate, said House Republicans are trying to subvert accepted political processes.
鈥淭his is enormously anti-democratic, and essentially what these guys are trying to do is annul the election in which they lost,鈥� he said.
Welch, known as a Democrat with many solid Republican relationships, said what鈥檚 happening in Washington is hard to imagine from a Vermonter鈥檚 point of view.
鈥淭here is something I think that Vermonters understand, and that is: You do pay your bills,鈥� Welch said. 鈥淛ust because you鈥檝e got a problem in one place in your life, you don鈥檛 tell the bank you鈥檙e not going to pay your mortgage.鈥�
As the federal government shutdown approaches its tenth day, leaders in Washington have shifted their focus to the debt ceiling. If lawmakers don鈥檛 take action by Oct. 17, the U.S. will default on its loans.
鈥淐ould you imagine one of our governors like Douglas or Snelling, Republican governors suggesting we don鈥檛 have to pay Vermont鈥檚 bonds? That wouldn鈥檛 happen.鈥� Welch said.
One difficulty Vermont's delegation faces in Washington is its size with only one vote in Congress, Vermont's sway is limited in Washington, but Welch said the trio gets things done by working together:
