Democrats Just Voted—Again—to Keep the Government Closed

Senate Democrats have now voted ten times to keep the government closed.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says, “every day gets better for us,” but every day this shutdown continues, it gets worse for Americans.

Because of this unnecessary and harmful shutdown, 1.3 million active-duty service members were at risk of missing a paycheck. But thanks to President Donald Trump’s leadership, that won’t happen.

This is a temporary fix as the Democrat Shutdown drags on. It is unconscionable and unacceptable for Democrats to play political games at the expense of America’s heroes and their families.

House Republicans did our job. We passed a clean, nonpartisan bill to keep the government open and ensure our troops, veterans, and families are protected. Senate Democrats have now blocked it ten times. Why? Because they’re demanding $1.5 trillion in new partisan spending. 

Democrats should remember their own advice and re-open the government.

• “Keeping the government open will mean no poison pills or reckless partisan posturing.” Chuck Schumer, who said on September 9, 2024.
• “Passing a clean CR this week is important for two main reasons: First, passing the CR, of course, will avert a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown. No reasonable member on either side – Democrat or Republican – wants a government shutdown.” Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
• As Democrat Senator Chris Murphy once said: “There is a time and a place to debate healthcare, just like there is a time and place to debate energy policy and immigration and education— but not when the funding of the federal government, and all the lives that are impacted by it, hang in the balance.” 
• “Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for the country, for our veterans, for parents and children, and for farmers and small businesses – all of whom would have felt the sting had the government shut down.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) 
• “[A] shutdown would mean chaos and pain and needless heartache for the American people.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) 
• “If we are going to keep the lights on beyond this Friday, our Republican colleagues will have to work with Democrats in a bipartisan way to pass a clean extension without hard-right cuts and without poison pills.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) 
• “It’s about the harm… Families will be hurt. Farmers will be hurt… If the government shuts down, holiday travel will be impacted. The ability of everyday Americans to visit their family, their friends, their loved ones will be impacted. Border security and border patrol agents will not be paid. TSA agents will not be paid. Small businesses will be hurt in every single community in this country.”– House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries 
• “It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want.”- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 
• “This [government] shutdown, do you know who is going to feel the pain? You know who it hurts? You. everyday people and the most vulnerable — seniors, veterans, working families, hungry kids y’all.”— Rep. Ayanna Pressley