Mikulski: ‘Disease’ of hypocrisy rampant among ‘tribal morass’ of House GOP

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) threw the latest volley in a mudslinging contest between the House and Senate over spending-cut negotiations on Tuesday.

"I want to talk about a disease that seems to be rampant over in the House Republican caucus — and that is hypocrisy," said Mikulski.

"Hy-po-crisy," she said slowly emphasizing each syllable of the word.

"They say one thing and they mean another," said Mikulski. "Ordinarily I wouldn't comment on the behavior or the tribal morass of the House Republican caucus, but they have had a field day on TV, kind of ridiculing the Senate, kind of ridiculing the Democratic Senate, essentially doing a lot of name-calling."

Mikulski may have been referring to comments made by Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), the president of the GOP freshman class, who said the Senate was blocking progress on a fiscal year 2011 spending deal. Scott said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) needs to "put on his big-boy britches" and "get to work and pass a bill."

Other House Republicans have also piled on Reid, calling his record on spending cuts a "failure." The GOP freshman class Tuesday called on him to pass a long-term spending bill or resign as Senate leader.

"Now I am not going to do any name-calling," said Mikulski. "I am going to do fact-describing.”

Mikulski said the House should pass a bill that would prevent members of Congress from receiving their salaries in the case of a government shutdown.

"The fact that we couldn't stop a shutdown shows we are not essential, and it shows that we ought not to get paid," said Mikulski.