0 i actually was one of the folks in the administration who saw it. and it was much uglier than i think people remember. but in terms of this idea of a clean cr coming back, we're actually even hearing now about this vitter amendment, that there's a consideration that perhaps when the version that comes back from the senate, which we know will once again stir about any mention of repealing, replacing, you know, delaying obama care, but now they're talking about potentially adding this vitter amendment which would impact capitol hill employees? >> well, the republicans are throwing against the radic-- th republicans, really, are throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. they have tried the military. they have tried obama care. they have tried all these things. you they're trying the federal employees. and none of it is going to work. this is not the place for the negotiation. and if they want to shut the government down, they are going to pay a heavy price. griffin, gentleman from arkansas. >> tim griffin, second district of arkansas. you know, i think the fact that the senators aren't here, and harry reid is off somewhere, is all the evidence you need to know that they want to shut down the government. i've been told that by high-level democrats in town, that this has been a plan for a while. and i personally believe that senator reid and the president, for political purposes, want to shut down the government. that's a scorched earth policy. it's like what they used with sequestration where they blamed every bad thing in the world on sequestration, which was the president's idea, and they made decisions within the agencies to make the political pain as bad as it could be. i believe that's the plan here. and the only evidence you need, folks, is the fact that they're not here. this is the old football strategy. when you get to where you want to be in a football game, you run out the clock. you run out the clock, because you think you like where you are. that's exactly what's going on here. if they really -- if they really cared whether this government would shut down or not, they would be here instead of saying that they'll be back tomorrow afternoon at some point. at some late hour, they'll pass something. and then they'll say, oh, my gosh. we've run out of time. well, yeah, they've run out of time, because they're not here. that is precisely what they're doing. we were here till way in the morning last night. doing everything we can. i'll say this. we hear a lot about my way or the highway. we've already had two proposals that we've sent over to them. they're stuck on the first one. sounds like my way or the highway is the senate way. so we're just asking them in good faith, come back and do what is required of democracy. that is to negotiate and work with us. instead of being off wherever they are today. so we'd just ask them to come back and get something done and work with us to avoid a shutdown. i think a shutdown is bad policy. and i also think it's bad politics. and we're doing everything we can to avoid it. turn it over to some of my colleagues here. just ask that people make sure to give your name and your district. >> i'm marsha blackburn from tennessee. >> just keep this on the side. so now we're hearing that -- the criticism being the senate is not there and there's not going to be enough time. it strikes me it's not a matter of time and what your colleagues from the other side of the aisle are not understanding, almost like petulant children, is that unless we're talking about a procedure to say we're going to get rid of it anyway. and they simply -- they're going to fail. >> you know, congressman, here's what strikes me. it's humorous on some level. but obviously also on another level what's disturbing is this idea that -- so does this now mean that the tea party caucus and ted cruz can just go through the books and pick any law that they don't like and say, you know what? we're going to repeal it. we'll replace it. we'll slow it down. whatever. what's to stop them from just picking anything at this point given that this is a matter of settled law that they're trying to negotiate? >> that exactly what's happening on the raising of the debt limit. they have written a list of things that they've passed out of the house. they are insisting that those be connected to the raising the debt limit. they want everything they ever wanted for every christmas since they were 2 years old. now, why don't they put the epa out there and repeal all the environmental protection agency rules? they've got endless things they could be doing this nonsense with. they simply don't understand how a government of the people and by the people operates on the basis of consensus and majority. >> right. >> you take a vote on something, if the majority wins, you live with it. >> right. >> i was against going to iraq. but we took a vote on that. i think that's the way it works. >> one of your colleagues, louie gohmert is at the microphone. he's always so entertaining. >> unless you want that shoved back in your face you need to be flexible and help the american people. we've heard from hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people in my office who have already been hurt by obama care. he's given hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of waivers and exemptions to cronies and those who supported him in the election. and who's left out? the american people. the american people want an exemption, want a waiver for at least a year. he's given it to business. now come on back and let's do the right thing by america and let's give the american people an exemption for a year as well. that's all we ask. >> i'm vicky heartsler from missouri. >> congressman, there's louie gohmert. yes, the business community asked for atigsal time. they got that. small businesses, additional time. it's my understanding employees will still be able to begin to access benefits on time. i mean, they're just making things up at this point. >> one of the hardest things, karen, is that we are listening to a flood of propaganda that is designed to scare people. there is a theory that if you can scare people, you can make them do anything. and that's really what they're doing. they're trying to scare people. the law hasn't even gone into effect and we already hear that people are being -- they're losing their jobs. they're losing their health care benefits. look, nobody has lost anything from obama care. they have only gained. we have given health insurance to children who are on their parents to age 26. we have given pre-existing conditions. that no longer is a reason for not getting insurance. we've made only positive things up to this point. >> right. >> including insurance companies giving money back. >> right. absolutely. congressman, i hope you will stand strong with the democrats because it's clearly going to be a tense couple of days with this back and forth. thank you so much for your time today. >> you're welcome. ahead, how do you negotiate with hostage takers when you're not even sure who you're negotiating with? 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