Washington Congresswoman on shutdown: ‘It is very easy for me to diagnose a tantrum’



Newly-elected U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington weighed in Thursday on the partial government shutdown that has left D.C. and the country in gridlock.

Just days into her term in Congress, Rep. Schrier (D-8th) has gotten a crash-course on life in politics during divided government.

“People in my district are hurting, people all over this country are hurting, and it is the wrong way to negotiate. It is just unfair to the American public and people in the 8th Congressional District to hold them hostage and hold back their salaries as part of negotiations. That’s not usual order.”

Echoing the Democratic party line, Schrier, an Issaquah doctor, accused President Donald Trump of having a “tantrum over a wall.”

“Remember, I am a pediatrician. It is very easy for me to diagnose a tantrum,” she said in an interview on “Q13 News This Morning.” “The other thing that I can tell you as a pediatrician is that when you reward the behavior, it happens again. The more he goes on with this tantrum, the less likely it is that he’ll get his way.”

Still, Schrier would not say whether a “yes” vote on Trump’s border wall was completely out of the picture it the shutdown continued. Should the partial shutdown remain in place come Saturday, it will official be the longest in U.S. history.

“I have not made a decision, but I can tell you that I am an evidence-based, science-based person,” she said. “I share the concern of all of our representatives and our president that we need to keep our country safe, and border security is part of that.”

However, Schrier took issue with how the president has framed his argument and said a wall would be “ineffective and expensive” and a “poor use of taxpayer dollars.”