Pete King On Shutdown: Middle of the Country Wants 'Compromise'

Ripping both parties for merely appealing to the far reaches of their base, Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y. called for both a border wall and an end to the government shutdown with concessions from Democrats and Republicans, who might ultimately be creating a path for a Medicare for All government shutdown.

"[The Democrats] have an obligation to negotiate honestly with the president," Rep. King told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y. "And also the Republicans have an obligation to make concessions. There should be concessions made on both sides. If they want to make a deal, there's so much there that could be done.

". . . Both sides are just appealing to their base. But that leaves out the great majority of the country: the middle of the country that does want to compromise."

King did acknowledge to host John Catsimatidis as important as the border wall might be, shutting down the government requires an even larger disagreement. And doing this now might lead to a shutdown for single-payer healthcare.

"I'm basically critical of both sides here," King told Catsimatidis. "I don't think you should shut the government down over any one issue. It's a very dangerous precedent to set.

"A few months from now if the Democrats want Medicare for all, and it's not approved, does that mean that you have the right to shut the government down? So, just I'm philosophically opposed to government shutdowns."

King added the fact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now entrenched in her role and cannot be removed, she has the ability to deal outside the pull of the far left.

"I think somewhere she would like to make a deal," King said. "I know Chuck Schumer would . . . but the bases in their parties in the Senate, the Elizabeth Warren's and the Bernie Sanders types, they want no concessions.

". . . [The House] has a hard-core progressive left — doesn't want to make any concessions on immigration."

After calling on Republicans to compromise, it is ultimately in Speaker Pelosi's hands now to move toward the middle ground, according to King.

"There comes a time when you have to show some guts in politics," he said. "You can't always have an easy time of it. As long as Nancy Pelosi is criticizing the president she's doing fine. But the fact is there's more to governing than just criticizing the president."

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