New Poll Shows Louisianans Opposed Cassidy’s Gov’t Shutdown By 2-1 Margin & Landrieu’s Lead Widens When Voters Learn About Cassidy’s Pro-Shutdown Stance

Cassidy Shut Down Gov’t In Order To Delay Same Health Care Reforms He Tried To Pass At State Level in ’07 & Yesterday He Voted For Default

New Orleans, Louisiana – Many of Bill Cassidy’s reasonable House GOP colleagues relented yesterday, and helped pass the bipartisan compromise to get the government back up and running. But rather than act responsibly to end the government shutdown of his own making, Bill Cassidy voted once again to continue the shutdown and force the U.S. to default on its debt for the time in history.

While the shutdown has finally come to an end, polls now show that voter backlash directed at Cassidy for shutting down the government is only just beginning.

A new poll yesterday showed that Louisianans overwhelmingly oppose Bill Cassidy’s government shutdown by a monstrous 60 to 30 percent margin. Mary Landrieu now leads Bill Cassidy by 7 percentage points, and when voters are informed about Cassidy’s decision to shut down the government, he trails by double digits.

As Cassidy tries now – and fails – to rationalize his reckless and irresponsible behavior, for Cassidy there’s no escaping the immeasurable damage his government shutdown did to families across Louisiana.

  • Bill Cassidy’s government shutdown cost the economy at least $24 billion and shaved 0.6 percent off our economic growth.
    It cut funding for crucial programs that feed pregnant women, young children and seniors.
  • It forced up to 320,000 veterans in Louisiana to plan for the likely possibility that their VA benefits, disability compensation or GI Bill stipends might not arrive as scheduled.
  • It hurt small businesses, forced thousands of workers across the state to go to work without receiving paychecks and closed national parks vital to Louisiana’s tourism industry.
  • And his support for default would have risked the full faith and credit of the U.S. while crippling our economy and causing ripple effects that hurt all Louisiana families.

“In order to delay the same health care reforms he tried to pass at the state level only six years ago, yesterday Bill Cassidy voted to continue his reckless government shutdown and force the U.S. to default on its debt for the first time in history,” said Campaign for Louisiana Communications Director Andrew Zucker. “It’s clear now that Bill Casssidy’s shameful political calculation has backfired, and in 2014 Louisianans will remember that when workers, families, veterans, small-business owners, homeowners and children were suffering, Bill Cassidy turned his back on Louisiana and put his political interests first. Bill Cassidy’s government shutdown and support for default is concrete proof that he can’t be counted on to fight for Louisiana families.”

BACKGROUND

Five Times, Cassidy Voted For Extreme House Republican Plans That Would Shut Down Government. [Vote #478, 9/20/13; CNN, 9/20/13; CNN, 9/29/13; Vote #498, 9/29/13; Vote 502, 9/30/13; Vote 504, 9/30/13; Vote 505, 10/1/13]

Cassidy Signed A Letter Asking GOP House Leadership Not To Support Any Spending Bill Unless The Affordable Care Act Is Defunded. “U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy joined more than one-third of U.S. House Republicans in urging the leadership to threaten to force a government shutdown unless Obamacare is defunded… The letter that Cassidy signed onto includes 80 of the House’s 233 Republicans and asks the GOP House leadership not to support any spending bill — including a needed continuing resolution to avoid a partial government shutdown after Sept. 30 — unless the Affordable Care Act health care law is defunded.” [The Advocate, 8/25/13]

Cassidy and House Republicans Voted Sixteen Times Against Efforts to Re-Open the Government. Daines and House Republicans voted sixteen times against efforts to vote on a clean government funding resolution by allowing consideration of the Senate-passed continuing resolution. [H Res 370, Vote #509, 10/02/13; HJ Res 70, Vote #512, 10/02/13; HR 3230, Vote #515, 10/03/13; HJ Res 72, Vote #517, 10/03/13; H Res 371, Vote #519, 10/04/13; HJ Res 85, Vote #521, 10/04/13; HJ Res 75, Vote #523, 10/04/13; H J Res 77,  Vote #527, 10/7/13; HJ Res 84, Vote #529, 10/08/13; H Res 373, Vote #531, 10/08/13; HR 3273, Vote #533, 10/08/13; HJ Res 90, Vote #536, 10/09/13; HJ Res 79, Vote #539, 10/10/13; HJ Res 76, Vote #541, 10/11/13; HJ Res 80, Vote #547, 10/14/13; HJ Res 80, Vote #549, 10/14/13]

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