Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson: Government Shutdown Would Endanger U.S. Troops (VIDEO)

Breaking with many other leaders in his party, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) warned against a government shutdown in a debate on Sunday, saying it would endanger U.S. troops.

"Well, I think as long as you've got men and women deployed in harm's way in Afghanistan, the last thing in the world is you shut down the support system for those men and women," he said in the debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting. "So I would not want to do that."

At the same time, Isakson argued, the country needed to get its spending where "we had prior to this current administration and even prior to the last administration of President Bush." "Right now, the best thing we could do is set the 2008 budget caps as the new caps for the next budget year we go into, because that would reduce spending by $600 billion in the first year of appropriations after it was established," he added. "That's the way you have to do it -- with tough love."

WATCH (38:15):

Isakson made a strong case against a government shutdown, and it's likely an argument that Democrats will also use if the GOP leadership pushes the issue after November. So far, Republicans such as Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.) and Rep. Steve King (Iowa) have all floated the idea of a government shutdown in order to eliminate government programs they don't like (such as health care reform).

In an interview with The Huffington Post, President Clinton warned of the human consequences of a federal shutdown, pointing out that government workers don't get paid and all sorts of essential services simply stop. Former Republican House Majority leader Dick Armey, who was with Clinton and Gingrich during the government shutdown in the 1990s, said it is premature to be talking about such a move at this point.

Both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) are reportedly still open to a possible shutdown.

Comments

[bmike]

06:01 AM on 10/27/2010

Only concern is the troops, the rest fend for yourself.Bin laden tried to shut down American Government.Bin laden will be taking credit for it.

[petergard]

01:12 AM on 10/27/2010

Statements like this on budget limits are scary because they could lead to real disaster, We do need responsibility, but as Obama has said many times, that should come from a measured debate about what is wanted (and what can or cannot be controlled) from each segment of the budget. The fact is that much of the increases (like ever increasing demands from entitlements, ever increasing losses from the Bush tax cuts, escalating costs of Afghanistan that Rebubs even want to increase) have nothing to do with the kinds of social and economic programs that they seem to think are the problem. They are not.

[krummlaw]

10:23 PM on 10/26/2010

Spending caps back to 2008, all well and good, but what about that little thing called Extend the Tax Breaks for the Rich that'll undo all of the "reduction"?

[rgateman]

10:51 PM on 10/26/2010

Before 2008 both wars were off the books also too. Isakson is stoopid as a teabagger. bumper sticker slogans and no solutions.

[SensibleJoe]

09:31 PM on 10/26/2010

It's not just the troops that matter, Mr. Isakson, though we all get that militarism is the new fashion among politicos. It's all Americans that matter. A government shutdown would be bad for all Americans.

[rgateman]

10:54 PM on 10/26/2010

It would have absolutley no effect on any overseas troops. He's just fear mongering with phony arguments and faux patriot garbage.

[NCEngineer]

08:59 PM on 10/26/2010

I am all for huge spending cuts as long as Defense is on the table and SS is off. There are billions that could be cut out of Defense without affecting our troops readiness at all. To consider Defense sacrosanct while looking to give a large chunk of SS to Wall Street is dangerous and downright scary.

[2garen]

07:33 PM on 10/26/2010

Woa ye hypocrite . Name one action you have done Senator to prevent the shutting down of the government? You tow your party line then come out with a public platitude to patronize the masses?

[Phillip Hyper]

07:22 PM on 10/26/2010

Well, their brains have already shutdown.

[Randy Wetzel]

05:48 PM on 10/26/2010

Gee I can't imagine who would have their panties twisted by pointing out that with a shut down, what would the repbus have to do with all that obstructionist time to spare? Well I guess they could do that wide stance ba-throom thing, or the slea-zy lap dances in Vegas, buy new dia-pers to wear for their "ladies of the night" or find more ways to sell the country to China, spend extra time making new boogeymen for their wi-tles-s supporters to fear.
Well now I see why they want the spare time after all.

[seventeengeese]

04:54 PM on 10/26/2010

So Isakson wants to use "tough love" in cutting spending?

Those are buzz words for watch out needy, poor, sick and elderly. They're coming for all of those services that you really don't need.

[drmonroe1952]

04:50 PM on 10/26/2010

AMERICANS HAD BETTER WAKE UP-----------EVERY PENSION PLAN IN AMERICA IS BROKE-------THIS COUNTRY IS BROKE-----------AND ECONOMIC TERRORIST DID THIS TO US--------LIFETIME POLITICIANS THAT WORK FOR BIG INTEREST CEO,S AND EXTREME WEALTHY-----------------BIG INTEREST CEO,S AND EXTREME WEALTHY HAVE BOUGHT YOUR POLITICIANS AND YOUR JUDGES AND YOUR CHIEF JUSTICES--------------I,M NOT VOTING IN CORRUPT ELECTIONS I,M DONE------------YOU HAVE ECONOMIC TERRORIST LIKE JOHN BOEHNER AND EVERY LIFETIME POLITICIAN LIKE HIM THAT SHOULD BE TRIED FOR TREASON AGAINST AMERICANS------------AMERICA DON,T VOTE IN CORRUPT ELECTIONS----------------------------------AMERICA DON,T VOTE--------CALL YOUR POLITIONS AND DON,T STOP CALLING-------ELECTION REFORM TAKE TAX FUNDING FOR ELECTIONS----------TAKE BIG INTEREST OUT OF IT--------------------STOP ECONOMIC TERRORISM

[Left of Center]

05:25 PM on 10/26/2010

We all feel that pain but not voting is NOT te answer. That is the hopes of the GOP, that you will feel too frustrated with the status-quo. I guarantee you that the GOP & tea-bagger nation will CERTAINLY vote and if the progressives stand along the sidelines, we will all, without exception, be marginalized.

You got it right though regarding calling your elected representatives. Even better, start a petition that can be sent to your representatives to ensure that the views of the people are heard and understood.

Sadly though, we all might be too late to cut out the cancers in special interest lobbyists and unlimited corporate campaign (undisclosed) financing. The evil may have already spread too far and too deep to be rooted out.

One thing for sure, Americans from all walks of life MUST band together, pull their heads out of their holes, and do something about it before the America permanently and forever becomes the Oligarchy that our Founding Fathers and real patriots fought so hard to free themselves over 230 years ago.

[Lark817]

05:31 PM on 10/26/2010

They're really not your politicians if you aren't voting, are they? Talk about cutting off your own nose.

[Jlong]

04:48 PM on 10/26/2010

Wonder where this guy was during Bush's two terms.

[SEXYLEO]

04:48 PM on 10/26/2010

Americans really should be ashamed of the people we send to represent us...repugklan threatening to shut down the government and prevaricating re: the financial responsibility of the previous administration. Surely, you remember, the fascist regime..they of the phony wars and military bull-shit; you must never forget the 'spinning bullshit', the number of our wounded and killed, because YOU PEOPLE, elected an imbecilic cowboy!!! (WELL ACTUALLY, THEY DID A DAMN GOOD JOB OF 'STEALING' THE TWO ELECTIONS)

Forget at your own peril..."those who do not remember history, are doomed to repeat it" BEWARE!

[jsgaetano]

04:43 PM on 10/26/2010

Since when did Republicans start caring about what happens to our troops?

[rgateman]

10:48 PM on 10/26/2010

Or what happens to the United States much less the people in what's left of merika.

[hetrose]

04:36 PM on 10/26/2010

Well then, Senator, perhaps you folks should consider a little cooperation.

[JoeLeland]

04:26 PM on 10/26/2010

The agenda is an old one. We are not there to win hearts and minds, lets be real.
Lest we forget ,we are an Empire and at the end of the day we rely on our Military to control it.
The plan has been on the books since for 60 years. Control the Petrochemical Economy and that is what we have been doing since FDR went to inform the Saudis that he had a deal they couldn't refuse. At present we have almost surrounded Iran