GUILFORD: On the day that the federal government will open up for the first time in over two weeks, the guest of honor at tonight’s Republican Town Committee fundraiser is none other than Tom Foley, a Republican candidate for Governor who publicly supported his party’s efforts to shut down the federal government.
When asked about the looming shutdown in an interview with the Connecticut Post on October 1st, Foley said: “I support what they’re doing” in reference to John Boehner and the Tea Party’s delusional tactic of refusing to fund the federal government in exchange for extreme conservative demands.
Hosting a prominent Republican official with such extreme views weeks before the municipal election raises questions about the direction the Guilford Republicans are heading.
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“Guilford has a rich history of bi-partisanship in local government which is why it is somewhat surprising to see the Guilford Republicans inviting someone to be their guest of honor at a fundraiser whose views on the shutdown match up with the likes of extremists like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Boehner,” said Anita Catardi, Chairwoman of the Guilford Democrats. “Do the Guilford Republicans join Tom Foley in applauding the recent dysfunction in Washington? Frankly, everyone I’ve talked to around town is fed up with that kind of politics and hope it isn’t trickling down to the local level.”
While the shutdown may have ended, the consequences of it were lengthy. To name a few: The National Institute of Health (NIH) stopped doing research and accepting new patients for clinical trials. E-verify, the system with which employers check the immigration status of new employees, was shut down. Parks and museums closed. Seniors with problems with their Social Security had no one to call. The Veterans Administration was unable to process benefit claims for veterans and their families. Over 800,000 federal employees were furloughed without pay for two weeks.
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In addition to cheering on the dysfunctional Washington Republicans, Foley opposed the common sense gun reform law passed in Connecticut following the tragedy in Sandy Hook. The bill banned assault weapons like the one used in Newtown, strengthened our background check system, and banned high capacity ammunition magazines. When asked for his thoughts on the legislation, he said: "Enough on gun control. It's over."
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