On Sept. 30, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, voted with her Tea Party friends and barreled the federal government into its first shutdown in 17 years. She never called for a clear continuing resolution to keep the government open. This vote has cost the American economy $24 billion and, though standing by her vote, Herrera Beutler admitted that many of her constituents were hurt by the shutdown.
After the GOP’s favorability collapsed, she flip-flopped and voted to reopen the government.
On Oct. 15, she said, “I will not vote for poison pills that have no chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law.” But, Herrera Beutler never apologized for doing just that 40 separate times. Herrera Beutler likes to call herself a moderate while consistently voting with her far right-wing Tea Party friends.
Jaime, you have some explaining to do.
Ken Simpson
Vancouver
