Jeff Flake Blames Trump and McConnell for Bringing Government to Brink of Shutdown

Source: The Daily Beast




The Arizona Republican will vote with Senate Democrats in a key dispute over government funding—and he says it’s all the GOP’s fault.

ANDREW DESIDERIO
01.19.18 12:04 AM ET

As Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) break from President Donald Trump intensifies, the outspoken lawmaker appears headed for another intra-GOP face-off—with the leader of his party in the Senate.

After a marathon session on Thursday night, Flake emerged from the Senate chamber frustrated with his Republican colleagues, in particular Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). After listening to McConnell and his Democratic counterpart, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), trade barbs over a stopgap spending bill to fund the government through Friday, Flake had decided it was better to side with Schumer and the Democrats on a key dispute over government funding.

In an interview late Thursday night, an exasperated Flake—who is not running for re-election this year—pinned the blame entirely on McConnell and Trump.

“We’re not going to get any better, particularly on the [immigration] issue, by waiting three weeks,” Flake told The Daily Beast. “It just gives the White House time to agree, disagree, and go back and forth. We just need to pass a bill and put it either on the president’s desk… or just pass a Senate bill and see what the House does with it.”

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/exasperated-jeff-flake-bucks-mitch-mcconnell-sides-with-dems-on-shutdown?ref=home