The Democrat ‘Extortion’ Game

WHAT! Democrats’ Holding Military Pay Raise ‘Hostage’ For IRS Bonuses

“Blocking the annual National Defense Authorization Act would be an extraordinary move if Democrats can pull it off. The bill is widely considered one of the most important pieces of business for Congress each year.” (“Democrats Set To Block Defense Bill Amid GOP Attacks,” National Journal, 6/14/15)

• “It contains hundreds of provisions to assist the military in its various operations. This year's bill includes a pay raise for the troops and a long-awaited 401(k) program for service members who serve fewer than 20 years—that is, most of them.” (“Democrats Set To Block Defense Bill Amid GOP Attacks,” National Journal, 6/14/15)

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ): “Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act, vital legislation providing the necessary funding and authorities for our military and the men and women who volunteer to defend the nation, for 53 consecutive years. This year’s NDAA should be no different.” (Sen. McCain, Obama Is Wrong To Hold Defense Funding Hostage, Politico Magazine, 6/8/15)

Dem Flashback: ‘Holding Pieces Of Legislation Hostage … Is Wrong,’ ‘Just Ridiculous,’ ‘Really Bullying Behavior’
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “Why are we wasting time? It is time to get back to setting fiscal policy through the regular order of the budget process rather than the hostage taking which takes place so often here…” (Sen. Reid, Congressional Record, S.8920, 12/18/13)

• REID: “It's time to get back to setting fiscal policy through the regular order of the budget process rather than through hostage taking. And it is time for Congress to show the American people that Democrats and Republican can compromise rather than lurching from crisis to crisis.” (Sen. Reid, Floor Remarks, 12/18/13)
• REID: “We can't again have to worry about hostage takers, and that's what they want.” (Sen. Reid, Press Briefing, 2/4/14)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “You cannot negotiate with a hostage situation like that. You cannot negotiate with a gun to your head.” (CNN, 10/7/13)

• SCHUMER: “…basically, it's sort of like this. Someone goes into your house, takes your wife and children hostage and then, says, let's negotiate over the price of your house.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 10/6/13)

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “I think the lessons from last year that holding pieces of legislation hostage to our economy and to the certainty that American people want is wrong, and I don't believe that will happen again next year either.” (MSNBC, 12/18/13)

• MURRAY: The American people are “sick of partisanship, sick of showboating and saber rattling. They were tired of turning on their televisions at night and seeing elected officials saying: It is my way or the highway, and they had no more patience for politicians holding the economy and the Federal Government hostage to extract concessions or score political points.” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.8870, 12/17/13)

SEN. DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI): “We need to act now so our veterans have the certainty and the peace of mind they need to move forward with their lives. We should not be involved in wrangling, in folks trying to find political advantage, and take political hostages, score points in some way.” (Sen. Stabenow, Congressional Record, S.870, 2/11/14)

SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): “So, I'd like to get back to democracy with a small ‘d’, following the Constitution, and abide by the rules as they've been established, and not go through this constant hostage-taking situation to get something in that process that you couldn't get through the normal process.” (Fox News, 10/16/13)

• KING: “Even in ‘Congress for Dummies,’ it doesn’t say you can make laws, change laws, rewrite laws in the context of holding the country hostage. It is an attempt to create an alternative process, a new shortcut way of achieving political ends without having to deal with those pesky elections. … I am afraid this will become the normal way we do things around here. Police, intelligence people, and military officers tell us they don’t negotiate with hostage-takers, and the reason they don’t is because they would empower, enable, and ensure it will happen again, and that is what worries me. ” (Sen. King, Congressional Record, S.7223, 10/5/13)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D-VT): “It is a form of extortion that has no place in a democracy. … They want to hold the country hostage. They want to put our backs up against the wall, or the backs of the American people. Why?” (Sen. Leahy, Congressional Record, S.7313, 10/9/13)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): “…stop holding this government and the American people hostage.” (CNN, 10/10/13)

• SANDERS: ‘I do urge you not to hold us hostage by demanding 60 votes’ “The American people want us to pass this legislation. If you choose not to vote for it, that is your right. But I do urge you not to hold us hostage by demanding 60 votes when a very strong majority wants to see it passed.” (Sen. Sanders, Congressional Record, S.2312, 4/9/14)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): “…moving from one self-inflicted wound to another when the kinds of hostage taking demands are made has to stop.” (MSNBC, 10/10/13)

• BLUMENTHAL: “…we are willing to compromise and collaborate but not with hostage-taking tactics that in effect say to everyone else in the country: It is our way or the highway.” (Sen. Blumenthal, Congressional Record, S.7252, 10/7/13)

SEN. BILL NELSON (D-FL): “One doesn’t hold the country hostage and disrupt people’s lives to get their particular agenda done…” (Sen. Nelson, Congressional Record, S.7512, 10/16/013)

• NELSON: “There is real hurt going on in this country, and it's time for folks like you to start slamming your fists down and saying, ‘We've had enough of this.’” (Sen. Nelson, Press Conference, 10/8/13)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): “…I'm not going to hold this country hostage and have millions of people suffering because of what I like and don't like. I came here to represent the people, to do the best I can for my country and my state of West Virginia. And I'm going to do that. I hope that our leaders will move ahead.” (CNN, 10/15/13)

• MANCHIN: “…this is not the place for it Joe, I can't hold the government hostage or the country hostage and inflict pain on innocent people. I won't do that.” (MSNBC, 10/14/13)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): ‘Get off of hostage negotiations’ “I think what we want to see is the government put back to work, as well. And I think there's support for that in the Senate. That way we get off of hostage negotiations that are going on right now. We get to regular negotiations. Everybody I know in Rhode Island knows the difference between negotiating and negotiating while holding hostages. … This is negotiating with hostages with a very real threat to shoot them, and very real damage to the country if we do. … I think that's fundamentally wrong, and it's fundamentally un-American.” (CNN, 10/10/13)

• WHITEHOUSE: “…we want you to do what you're supposed to do, which is be responsible about paying the country's bills and not use this as an opportunity to take hostages or extract ransom.” (Sen. Whitehouse, Politico Discussion, 2/6/14)

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): “Holding the economy and critical services hostage to score political points is irresponsible.” (Sen. Shaheen, Congressional Record, S.7319, 10/9/13)

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): “They just want to make a political point, and they are holding the country hostage in order to make it.” (Sen. Menendez, Congressional Record, S.7377, 10/10/13)

SEN. HEIDI HEITKAMP (D-ND): “I am hopeful we can get good people to step forward, to stand up to behavior that can only be described in some ways—it has been talked about as hostage-taking here. It is really bullying behavior when the small minority does this. Let’s step forward. Let’s do the right thing.” (Sen. Heitkamp, Congressional Record, S.7202, 10/4/13)

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