MinnPost -- McCollum blasts Minnesota's legislative Republicans on the House floor

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By: Devin Henry

Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum brought the Minnesota budget shutdown to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon.

McCollum delivered a speech warning that the political stalemate that has shut down the Minnesota government could extend to Congress if Democrats and "reasonable Republicans" don't work together. She blasted "radical Republican-Tea Party extremism [that is] threatening jobs and the economy with destruction in the name of political advantage."

Members of Congress, of course, have no direct influence on the inner workings of state budget negotiations, so there is little McCollum or any member of the Minnesota delegation can do to help solve the problems in St. Paul. But McCollum has been one of Gov. Mark Dayton's more outspoken supporters throughout the budget crisis, writing a note commending the DFL governor's strategy in a newsletter to her constituents before the shutdown.

Here is McCollum's complete speech from Wednesday:

"Mr. Speaker, this week in Minnesota our state government is shut down due to a budget crisis. I want to applaud Gov. Mark Dayton for negotiating in good faith, making productive compromises and never forgetting the needs of Minnesotans, especially our most vulnerable citizens.

"The Republicans controlling the Minnesota Legislature issue ultimatums and want to mortgage our state's future by cutting health, education and law enforcement.

"In Congress and Minnesota, Republicans use the same play book. First, create a crisis, put jobs at risk, put the economy in peril, and ignore the needs of middle class families. And, then fight to protect the interests of millionaires and billionaires.

"What we are seeing in Washington, DC and St. Paul is a radical Republican-Tea Party extremism threatening jobs and the economy with destruction in the name of political advantage. It is a dangerous political strategy that needs to end.

"Democrats and reasonable Republicans need to work together to solve our nation's problems. The American people and Minnesotans expect that of their elected leaders."

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