Minnesota's Washington delegates differ on federal government shutdown

As the federal government shutdown goes into day two, members of Minnesota's congressional delegation remain at odds over what it will take to pass a bill to get the government funded again.

But like many people in the United States, they're also frustrated that the shutdown furloughed thousands of federal employees - among them many of the police and support personnel that keep the massive Capitol complex running.

"There's only one entrance to the House of Representatives," said U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, a Democrat who represents the 8th District. "There's only one parking lot open up. Nobody can find a place to park, people are having a hard time getting into the building."

The shutdown occurred after tea party Republicans in the House insisted that any bill to fund the government repeal - or at least delay - the Affordable Care Act, which they deride as Obamacare.

Like all of the delegation's Democrats, Nolan said he'll vote for a bill to reopen the government that doesn't try to stop the federal healthcare law. He said he would vote for a "clean bill" with no new policy provisions even though it locks in much lower levels of spending than he believes is right.

"Now I don't support those levels; I don't support the sequester," Nolan said. "But I will vote for that continuing resolution so that we can fund the government."

As he left a closed-door GOP caucus meeting, U.S. Rep. John Kline, a Republican who represents the 2nd District, said he would not vote for a clean bill.

"This is not about a false equivalency that both sides are to blame on this."

"We need the Senate to come to the table and negotiate," Kline said. "That's what we're trying to do."

But there's a problem with that argument. Senate Democrats have tried for months to open budget negotiations, but at every step Republicans have blocked such efforts, at times by using the filibuster, a tactic in which they insist on a supermajority of 60 votes to advance a bill.

Kline said it's time to start talks -- and pass continuing resolutions that would reopen the national parks, including the National Zoo and its online panda cub camera, as well as parts of the Veterans Affairs.

"In the meantime we'll do the things that we can that make sense that are going to ease the pain for our constituents," Kline said.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican who represents the 3rd District, said he's unhappy with leaders from both parties for not negotiating sooner. Paulsen also said he'd think about passing the so-called clean resolution, but didn't make any promises.

"I will look at anything that comes in front of me to end the impasse," he said.

Paulsen said he's talking to Democrats about finding a way out of the shutdown and thinks the repeal of the medical device tax, which is used to partially fund the federal health care law, could be a way. Ending that tax has been Paulsen's top priority in Congress for several years.

It's the one part of the health care law Democrats have hinted that they could live without, though most don't believe it should be part of a short-term funding bill.

Paulsen said he's determined to try.

"There's no reason not to include it as part of the discussion, especially if it brings along bipartisan support to bring resolution," he said.

Democrats are mostly exasperated. They think they've made painful spending concessions that Republicans won't acknowledge because the GOP's focus is on disabling the healthcare law.

Moreover, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, who represents the 1st District, said he's talked to several Republicans in the past few days who want the shutdown to end so much that they are willing to drop the fight over "Obamacare."

"This is not about a false equivalency that both sides are to blame on this," Walz said. "This is very clear, that Speaker Boehner could put a bill forward that Republicans and Democrats would vote for that would fund government at a level that they agreed upon, lower than we've ever seen, and move us forward."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar notes that the funding bill Democrats want to pass isn't even long-term legislation with any policy consequences. The six-week bill would keep the lights on while a longer-term solution gets negotiated.

"That wasn't even enough to get these guys over in the House -- a small group of extremists -- to come together and agree," Klobuchar said. "So at some point, there's nothing left to negotiate."

The object of Democrats' ire is the tea party faction within the Republican Party.

Although U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of the 6th District is a member of the tea party caucus, she voted against one Republican funding bill because it only delayed part of the federal health care law and not the entire law.

When asked why President Obama would sign a repeal of the law he helped champion, Bachmann said, "He needs to see that we mean what we say."

"Why would he sign it?" Bachmann said. "Because apparently he wants to fund the government. We are willing to fund every part of the government except for this."

Even if this funding fight is resolved in the next few days, there's another round coming by the middle of October. According to the Treasury Department, that's when the debt limit must be raised.

Many Republicans see that as another opportunity to demand changes to the health care law.

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