Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Reps. Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Dave Brat (R-VA) battled over the divide between the moderates and Freedom Caucus conservatives in Congress deciding who will be the next Speaker of the House.
Brat said, “What everybody up here is missing are the objective economic numbers. We have a guaranteed financial crisis in law coming up in 11 years and we’re missing the American people. Go poll the American people. you want to know my response? I follow the American people. Charlie here wants us to follow like a caucus or whatever. He wants to kick us out of our conference for voting our conscience.”
Dent replied, “I don’t want to do that.”
Brat shot back, “Well, you’re on record last week saying it.”
Dent said, “That’s an outrageous thing to say.”
Brat replied, “It’s absolutely true.”
Dent said, “I said we should marginalize people who don’t want to govern. I believe members of Congress have a responsibility to govern. Hugh raised the issue of the world being on fire. shutting down the government in the middle of this would be a terrible thing. Our men and women in uniform need us to provide some certainty and stability.”