Elizabeth Warren: GOP 'anarchy gang' attacks imaginary 'bogeyman government'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) accused Republican "anarchists" of shutting down the government and then complaining when the government doesn't provide the services they want.

"We all know how we got here," Warren said Thursday on the Senate floor. "For years now, we've heard a small minority in this country rail against government. When I hear the latest tirades from some of the extremists in the House I am struck by how vague these complaints are."

The Democratic senator said Americans and their congressional representatives haven't asked that regulators stop ensuring the safety of goods and products.

"In fact, whenever the 'anarchy gang' makes headway in their efforts to damage our government, the opposite happens," Warren said.

Warren pointed out that, after automatic budget cuts kicked in earlier this year, Republicans immediately called for maintaining national defense spending and keeping air traffic controllers on the job.

"Now that the House Republicans have shut down the government, holding the country hostage because of some imaginary health care bogeyman, Republicans almost immediately turned around and called on us to start reopening parts of the government," Warren said. "Why do they do this? Because the bogeyman government is like the bogeyman under the bed: It's not real; it doesn't exist."