Cornyn accused the White House of dragging out negotiations on important deadlines. Cornyn: Partial shutdown possible

Sen. John Cornyn, the Republican whip, thinks shutting down parts of government may be the answer to solving the nation’s fiscal problems.

“It may be necessary to partially shut down the government in order to secure the long-term fiscal well being of our country, rather than plod along the path of Greece, Italy and Spain,” Cornyn wrote in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle. “President Obama needs to take note of this reality and put forward a plan to avoid it immediately.”


The Texas senator didn’t provide details about how much of the government he would shut down or for how long.

Cornyn, who voted for the fiscal cliff deal, accused the White House of dragging out negotiations on important deadlines.

“In every instance, the looming deadline for action has been obvious,” Cornyn wrote. “And in every instance, the White House has purposefully slow-walked the process in a shameless attempt to score cheap political points.”

And Cornyn wrote that he expects the same in the upcoming sequestration and debt ceiling fights.

“If history is any guide, President [Barack] Obama won’t see fit to engage congressional Republicans until the 11th hour,” Cornyn wrote. “In fact, he has already signaled an unwillingness to negotiate over the debt ceiling. This is unacceptable. The president should immediately put forward a plan that addresses these deadlines, and he should launch serious, transparent budget negotiations.”

Cornyn, who many expect could face a primary challenge in 2014 from a more conservative member of his party, explained that he voted for the cliff legislation to prevent taxes from going up on all income brackets.

“I don’t believe Washington needs more money; I believe Texans should keep more of their hard-earned dollars, which is why I voted for the act,” Cornyn wrote. “This bill, while admittedly not perfect, makes tax cuts permanent for nearly all Texans.”

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Fiscal Cliff