Democrats are “holding the government hostage” with their spending demands and refusal to compromise on budget priorities, Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Thursday, adding that their policies have fueled lawlessness and economic frustration.
Responding to questions about rising anger from the public and Democrat lawmakers about the shutdown, the Texas Republican urged the senators, in an interview on Newsmax’s “Newsline,” to “come to the table and act like adults.”
“You’re going to blame it on Republicans because they’re not going to give in to your $1.5 trillion wish list, which is supporting illegal immigrants and giving money away to people who are in our country illegally,” she said.
Van Duyne, who chairs the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access, said Republicans have been focused on strengthening the economy while Democrats have used government shutdown threats to advance partisan spending priorities.
“There’s a stark difference between what you’re seeing from Republicans who are working on trade deals, bringing manufacturing back, allowing people to keep more of the money they earn, and Democrats who are consistently holding out, shutting down the government,” she said.
The Texas lawmaker linked recent reports of looting threats and unrest to what she described as “a lawless society” encouraged by Democratic policies that weakened law enforcement.
“This is what happens when you live in a lawless society,” she said. “Don’t blame the poor retailers. If you’ve got a bone to pick, call your Democrat senator that’s holding out and refusing to open up the government.”
Van Duyne also commented on a case in Illinois involving Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Democrat running for Congress in the state’s 9th District.
Abughazaleh was recently indicted on federal charges after allegedly blocking and damaging a federal agent’s vehicle during a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago.
Abughazaleh, a Palestinian-American activist, has denied the charges, calling the case a “political prosecution” and saying she was exercising her First Amendment rights.
Van Duyne said the incident underscores the breakdown of respect for the law among some progressive candidates.
“She needs to understand that if she gets elected, she’s going to have to sign an oath to uphold the laws of her state and the United States,” said Van Duyne. “She’s committing a crime and arguing that she’s somehow a victim.”
The courts, she added, should “Throw the book at her, make an example, arrest her, and make sure people understand that breaking the law has consequences.”
However, Democrats’ “victim mentality” has eroded accountability and encouraged lawbreaking, said Van Duyne.
“No one is above the law,” she said. “Yet you’re seeing Democrat after Democrat make excuses, break laws, and want somehow an exception because, ‘don’t you know who I am?'”
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