Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Sept. 17 said congressional Republicans would be blamed if the government shut down before the election.

Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Tuesday criticized the judiciary for proposing stricter financial disclosure requirements for groups that file friend-of-the-court briefs seeking to influence cases and asking judges to restrict law clerks from seeking political employment.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is warning colleagues that it would be “politically beyond stupid” for Congress to stumble into a government shutdown a few weeks before Election Day, saying Republicans would “certainly” get the blame.