Virginia Democrat on possible shutdown: ‘It’s time to stand up for the American people’

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said he supports Democrats’ threats to shut down the government if Republicans proceed with the rescissions package, saying his party should use all the leverage they can to prevent cuts to previously approved funding.

“I say it’s time to stand up for the American people,” Subramanyam said in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” when asked what he says about a shutdown.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. I mean, I’m hearing from both sides. They’re fed up with this administration, and they want to see some changes, not just in this administration, but even in the Democratic Party,” he continued.

“And, so, yes, absolutely, the time to fight was yesterday,” he added.

Republicans are ramping up efforts to pass a package that President Trump requested last month, which includes more than $9 billion in funding cuts for foreign aid and public broadcasting programs.

However, the push faces staunch opposition from Democrats, who argue that the executive branch’s efforts to undermine previous funding decisions made on a bipartisan basis by Congress could further erode trust between the two sides in current talks.

And they are warning that the efforts threaten bipartisan negotiations to fund the government ahead of a September shutdown deadline.

Subramanyam said he thinks it’s important Democrats use the leverage they have now.

“We need to continue to make sure that when we do have leverage — the few times we do have leverage — we have to use it,” he said. “And we have to strike a hard bargain and not just fold in the last minute.”

“And so, I do think that we should fight,” he added.