Washington must find common ground on budget: Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman, a former Democratic senator from Connecticut who became an independent, said watch out for government shutdowns with the new Congress.
“It’s totally different now,” Lieberman said to FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. “Let’s say the president’s most significant legislative accomplishments was the tax reform — tax cuts. Those would not pass in the new Congress. Not as they were.”
The midterms resulted in an upset for the GOP as Democrats gained control of the House, while Republicans maintained control of the Senate.
With that comes worries over political gridlock.
“On the other hand if the Democrats in the House try and repeal those tax cuts — that’s not going to happen either because the president won’t allow it,” said Lieberman. “So gridlock is not inevitable -- gridlock is a choice that people make and there’s going to be differences of opinion.”
The big question, said Lieberman, is whether Trump and Democrats in the House can find areas of common ground. He said agreeing on a budget is crucial.
“They’ve got to agree on a budget, or else the government shuts down and that’s not good for anybody, certainly not good for the country,” he said.
The federal budget deficit grew 17 percent to $779 billion in fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 — the highest level in six years, according to the Treasury Department.