The government shutdown has caused the furlough of 750 civilian workers from the Naval Submarine Base New London. Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney, whose district includes the sub base, said these workers don't deserve to be caught in the crossfire of national politics.
Courtney said, "Telling people who provide services for the submarine research lab down at Groton that you can't go to work, because we're not happy with the affordable care act, to that extent I would say, yeah, these people are sort of being held hostage, and they are being badly treated."
Courtney said there is a growing number of House Republicans critical of the GOP tactic of shutting down the government because of their objection to Obamacare. "There is a silent, I wouldn't call them a majority in their caucus, but certainly a silent segment," he said, "that would easily get us over the 218 vote threshold to pass a bill and send it to the White House for a signature."
Courtney tweeted on Tuesday that the GOP is playing a "cynical game" by trying to restore funding to certain parts of the government during the shutdown without agreeing to a clean continuing resolution.