House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer blasted Republicans for forcing the government into a shutdown on Monday’s Morning Joe.
“You have a lot of Republicans now who believe this is a reasonable policy, they can bring the country to their knees, and get what they want,” he said.
He noted that there are some Republicans in the House who think what is being done is “irrational.” But he said those individuals are looking over their shoulder at Tea Party primary challengers.
“This was a tactic to do something that they knew they couldn’t do, and that is defund Obamacare,” he said.
Leaders of both parties need a short-term bridge, six to 10 weeks, to discuss possible resolutions to the current government closure, he said. But Republicans have objected to that so far.
“We’re not doing very well,” he said, “because we’re playing chicken with the credit and the reputation of the United States of America.”
Watch more on Morning Joe.