Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) joined HuffPost Live Tuesday to react to the government shutdown, calling the Republican Party willingness to shut the government down in an attempt to block access to health care "sadistic."

Grayson called the shutdown "an unconstitutional method of repealing an existing law."

HuffPost Live host Mike Sacks asked if the shutdown was merely the "ratcheting up" of past debt fights that have occurred over the last year.

"It's beyond that," Grayson said. "It's sadistic."

Grayson added that "what Republicans seem to want more than anything else is to deny people the care and the coverage that they need to stay healthy and stay alive."

"It's as if the Republican health care plan is: don't get sick and if you do get sick, die quickly," he added.

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