GOP Rep: Shutdown has nothing to do with gunfire near Capitol

{mosads}”I was kind of curious how long it was going to take to try to tie this to the government shutdown,” he told a reporter. “The two are two different things. The Capitol Police did their job, did it admirably, just like we anticipate that they would do. It has nothing to do with the shutdown.”

The Capitol complex was placed on lockdown earlier Thursday following a car chase that began at the White House and ended in a police takedown of a suspect on the Senate side of the Capitol. The incident was described as isolated, and two police officer were injured, including a member of the Secret Service. The lockdown was lifted about an hour after taking place. 

Capitol Police are considered excepted employees, meaning they are required to continue to work through the government shutdown. The will not be paid until after lawmakers pass legislation funding the government. 

Capitol Police have said the shutdown would not compromise security. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told ABC News that it is a national disgrace that they are not being paid during a shutdown. 

“That this government is shut down today and they’re not getting paid is a national disgrace,” he said. 

Another GOP lawmaker, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) called the incident an unfortunate event but said maybe some good could come of it. He was responding to a question about whether the scare could lead Republicans and Democrats to come together to end the shutdown. 

“Listen I’ve been advocating to end it as soon as possible anyway,” he said on CNN. “It is unfortunate that this happened, but maybe some good will come out of it.”

Both parties have remained at loggerheads on the third day of a government shutdown. Democrats have argued for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government. While Republicans have lobbied for the defunding or delay of pieces of ObamaCare. Republicans have since begun to pass funding for individual pieces of the government in an attempt to put pressure on Democrats. 

— Mike Lillis contributed to this report, which was updated at 6:35 p.m