MSNBC Host Joe Scarborough: ‘I’m Sounding More Like’ a Democrat ‘Every Morning’
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough confessed to “sounding more like” a Democrat every morning.
The host was talking with panelists about the government shutdown last week when he made the comment on “Morning Joe,” according to the Media Research Center.
Noah Rothman reportedly made the argument that funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program secured in the bill that reopened the government, was the same bill proposed before the shutdown on Friday.
“But if I’m a Democrat, and of course, I’m not, but God knows I’m sounding more like one every morning…” Scarborough began his counter-argument, eliciting chuckles from the other panelists.
His co-host Mika Brezinski can be heard replying, “I’m very proud of you.”
“If I’m a Democrat, and I went back to my Town Hall meeting, and they said, ‘You backed down!’ I would say, ‘I did what? I guaranteed — by standing up to Donald Trump and making sure he was out of this process — I guaranteed CHIP funding.'”
The Independent then explained how Democrats could frame the funding as a victory.
“You’re telling me that a three-day shutdown wasn’t worth guaranteeing health care for millions and millions of the truly disadvantaged children?” he said. “That’s a win for Democrats if they know how to spin it the right way.”
Later in the show, he reiterated his spin on the Democratic triumph, according to the Media Research Center.
“How could (Democrats) not celebrate the fact that in exchange for keeping the government open for three weeks, you were able to get health care for nine million of the most truly disadvantaged children across America, and get that funding for six years?” Scarborough asked. “What progressive would not call that a victory?”
Sen. Chris Coons responded that there were still things that were not addressed even though getting the funding was a good step.
“Senator, those are still on the table… And this morning, nine million children from the least advantaged homes in America know they’re going to have health care reform.”
The Senate voted Monday afternoon to end the federal government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats were finally able to reach a short-term agreement that keeps the government funded.
The deal keeps the government up and running through Feb. 8. In return, Republicans agreed that the upper chamber will address a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, according to The New York Times.
The shutdown originally stemmed from the fact that Democrats demanded an immediate legislative solution in regard to DACA. Republicans, though, including Trump, did not want to grant amnesty to DACA recipients without receiving funding for increased border security measures — including a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — in return.
Democrats could have stopped the government from being shut down by supporting a bill that would have funded the government for the next four weeks and ensured that the Children’s Health Insurance Program is extended for the next six years. But Democrat leaders in Congress opposed the bill on the basis that it did not address the roughly 700,000 illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
If an agreement cannot be reached soon regarding immigration reform, another shutdown is a conceivable possibility.
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