Congressmen Still Boozing As Government Shuts Down11

With just hours to go until a government shutdown, Congressmen couldn't seem to agree on much except the fact that drinks were in order.

Reporters tweeted Monday night that they could smell booze on the lawmakers working to strike a last-minute spending deal onCapitol Hill:

About every other House lawmaker I just talked to smelled like booze. It's only 9pm. Wheeee!

— jennifer bendery (@jbendery) October 1, 2013

confirmed. also, it's a bipartisan affair RT @jbendery: About every other House lawmaker I just talked to smelled like booze. It's only 9pm.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) October 1, 2013

HuffPost asked one tired-looking House lawmaker if he planned to go get a drink while the Senate took the lead on the government-funding bill for a while. He begrudgingly said no.

"I can't," he grumbled. "I have to be back in two hours."

But Capitol Hill boozing is becoming a trend. Reporters shared stories of seeing and smelling alcohol-fueled lawmakersSaturday night.

House Republicans are unwilling to fund the government without dismantling Obamacare. When that bill passed the House in 2010, Democrats did plenty of boozing themselves, much of it at The Tune Inn, a dive bar just blocks from the Capitol, but plenty of it inside the building as well.

Meanwhile, 800,000 federal workers could be furloughed if the government shuts down.

SCRIPTURES

ISAIAH 51:17Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

18There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

19These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

20Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

21Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:

22Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:

23But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

JEREMIAH 51:55Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

56Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite.

57And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

58Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

REVELATION 17:1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.