GOP Congressman Pens Letter Asking for Reid's Resignation

Rep. Rick Crawford, a freshman Republican from Arkansas, has drafted a letter calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to resign, citing what he calls Reid's "reckless, partisan strategy of shutting down the government."

"With all due respect, if you do not plan to fulfill your responsibilities as Senate Majority Leader, perhaps it is time to step aside," Crawford writes in the letter.

House Republicans are engaged in a budget battle with Senate Democrats as a government shutdown looms Friday if the two sides can't come together on a long-term spending plan or another continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating.

"Mr. Reid, it is time to stop denying the dire straits of our nation's fiscal health," Crawford writes. "It is time to pass a bill."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee attacked the messenger, or in this case the letter writer, raising questions about Crawford's financial past and relating them to the nation's present fiscal issues.

"Of all the people for House Republican freshmen to pick as their front man for a stunt about fiscal responsibility, they picked Representative Rick Crawford who couldn't even pay his own credit card bills and went bankrupt because of it," said Jesse Ferguson of the DCCC. "Tells you something about how serious House Republican freshmen are about fiscal responsibility."

Crawford expects at least 90 House Republicans to sign on to the letter to Reid.

Below is the full text of Rep. Crawford's letter.

Mr. Reid,

Many of us wrote last week pleading with you to bring a long-term continuing resolution before the full Senate that would fund government operations for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. We hand delivered the letter the 39th day after the House passed HR-1, its version of the FY 2011 yearlong continuing resolution that adhered to the calls of the American people pleading for reasonable, responsible spending cuts.

Unfortunately, another six days have passed and your refusal to pass a bill means our Nation has moved one step closer to a government shutdown. Mr. Reid, your lack of action and absence of leadership is irresponsible. It has now been 45 days since the House of Representatives passed a bill that reduces the massive $1.4 trillion deficit for FY 2011 by a modest $61 billion.

Where is your bill, Mr. Reid?

We urge you to reconsider your reckless, partisan strategy of shutting down the government. If you will pass a bill, the House and Senate can meet in conference to reconcile any differences and then forward the final bill to President Obama.

The American people deserve responsive leadership from those who are elected to higher office. Unfortunately, you have failed on numerous counts. Under your stewardship, the Senate failed to pass a budget resolution last year, something that hasn't happened since the current budget process was established in 1974. Mr. Reid, you also failed to pass one single appropriations bill to fund even a single federal agency, but yet you somehow muster the nerve to say Republicans are the problem. The ball is in your court to pass a long-term spending resolution for the remainder of FY 2011 that can be reconciled with the H.R. 1. With all due respect, if you do not plan to fulfill your responsibilities as Senate Majority Leader, perhaps it is time to step aside.

Mr. Reid, it is time to stop denying the dire straits of our nation's fiscal health. It is time to pass a bill.

Bound together and determined,

Fox News Producer Wes Barrett contributed to this report.