Could GOP Launch Another Gov't Shutdown?

With some Republican congressional candidates, particularly those backed by the tea party movement, pledging to oppose any increase in the federal debt, Congress may have to deal with the issue of shutting down the government if the GOP regains control. That’s a touchy subject, as the government shutdown sparked by House Republicans in 1994 worked against them, Roll Call reports.

GOP leaders have sought to blunt calls for a government shutdown. Minority Whip Eric Cantor told The Wall Street Journal that he opposes a shutdown, saying Republicans have no desire to be viewed as a pack of “yahoos.”

But some GOP candidates and a few conservative incumbents want to keep the shutdown threat alive as leverage to force President Barack Obama to repeal the healthcare law and slash government spending. “Ultimately, the president can’t spend money unless Congress approves it,” says Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.