WASHINGTON—The largest union of federal employees is pushing for an end to the government shutdown, dealing a major blow to Democrats as the funding fight drags on.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers, on Monday <a href="https://www.afge.org/article/its-past-time-to-end-this-shutdown/">urged</a> the Senate to approve a “clean” continuing resolution to end the stalemate. The union, usually a dependable Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-aligned-union-breaks-ranks-demands-end-to-govt-shutdown?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem-Aligned+Union+Breaks+Ranks%2C+Demands+End+To+Govt+Shutdown">stalwart,</a> all but endorsed Republicans&#8217; plans to end the shutdown in a statement.
“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said, calling the shutdown “an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together.”
Kelley did not lay blame with either party, but did call for the Senate to pass a &#8220;clean&#8221; continuing resolution — which Republicans have called for from the beginning of the shutdown fight.
About 1.4 million federal workers missed a paycheck last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference Monday morning, urging Senate Democrats to approve the House-passed continuing resolution.
Johnson added that the House had “done its work” by passing the measure a month ago.
“The Army nurse in San Antonio, the TSA officer in Atlanta, the USDA food safety inspector in Iowa, and hundreds of thousands more like them are being asked to keep our country running without the paychecks that keep their own households afloat,&#8221; Kelley said.
Kelley said the workers are &#8220;patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers, and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable.&#8221;
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said AFGE calling for an end to the shutdown “has a lot of impact,&#8221; Semafor&#8217;s Burgess Everett <a href="https://x.com/burgessev/status/1982902515013186033">reported</a> on X.
“It’s something we will be discussing this week,&#8221; Durbin told the outlet. &#8220;I’m not announcing any change in my position at this time. They&#8217;re our friends. We take them seriously.”
Bloomberg News reporter Erik Wasson <a href="https://x.com/elwasson/status/1982857696937496756">reportedly</a> asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the union’s statement, but Schumer declined to comment.
The House Freedom Caucus weighed in Monday on X, responding to an NBC report on the union’s stance.
“It’s a bad day for Chuck Schumer when even the AFGE…a union that routinely endorses and supports Democrats…sees how bizarre the Democrats’ position is,” the caucus <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/1982858175117484057">wrote on X.</a>
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told The Daily Wire that AFGE is “rightly calling Democrats out on their political games, and hopefully Senate Democrats will listen.”
“Lawmakers are sent to Washington to govern, but Democrats seem to think their job is to obstruct the agenda of the President of the United States and to jeopardize the livelihoods of the American people,” Emmer said.
Emmer said Americans on “both sides of the aisle are seeing right through the Democrats’ lies and they will be held accountable for their hostage tactics.”
Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (PA) said <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1982809715831628084">on X</a> that AFGE is “firmly on the right side of this and we should absolutely listen.”
“Our servicemembers, federal workers, and Capitol Police are hurting. It’s one of many reasons why I’ve continuously voted to open our government. We need to end this chaos,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman sided with Republicans on the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government, as did Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME).
This week, many politicians have highlighted the looming November 1 expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which will affect more than 42 million people.
The SNAP <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">website</a> currently cites Democrats for failing to reopen the government, stating, “Bottom line, the well has run dry.”
There are currently discussions of a potential bill to pay “certain” federal workers between Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), as reported by <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1982861472968376606">Punchbowl News</a>.
As of Monday evening, a spokesman for Johnson’s office confirmed talks are “ongoing.”
On the Senate floor Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1982908995909382282">claimed</a> the Trump administration is “making an intentional choice not to fund SNAP this weekend.”
“The emergency funding is there — the administration is just choosing not to use it. And for those who say the money can’t be moved around so easily, that’s a load of bunk. If the administration can cough up $40 billion for Argentina, they can find money for SNAP by this Saturday,” Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1982893996847555019">maintained</a> that the Senate can reopen the government this week if five “courageous” Democrats vote with them, adding there will be another opportunity to vote to reopen in the coming days.

Federal Employees Hold Rally Calling For End Of Government Shutdown

‘It’s A Bad Day For Chuck Schumer’: Dems Waver As Fed Union Calls For End To Shutdown

Chuck Schumer

Federal Government

Government Shutdown

John Thune

Labor Unions

The U.S. Department of War has confirmed that it has accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million to help keep U.S. troops paid during the government shutdown.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a close friend of his, whom he described as &#8220;patriotic,&#8221; gave the money to keep our military paid during what he&#8217;s called the &#8220;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/821950420784553">Schumer Shutdown</a>,&#8221; referencing Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The anonymous donor is <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/mystery-donor-gave-trump-130m-165111194.html">reportedly</a> Timothy Mellon, a billionaire railroad magnate and heir to the prominent banking and political Mellon family. Mellon has not confirmed the donation came from him.
During the 2024 campaign, Mellon donated $100 million to groups backing Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who now serves as Health and Human Services secretary in the Trump administration.
The government has been shut down since October 1, after Democrats refused a funding resolution without certain health care subsidies. Republicans have charged that Democrats want illegal immigrants to receive health care paid for by the American people.
“He called us the other day and said, &#8216;I&#8217;d like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown … because I love the military and I love the country,'&#8221; Trump said.
The Department of War has since confirmed the donation. &#8220;On October 23, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority,&#8221; Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. &#8220;The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members&#8217; salaries and benefits. We are grateful for this donor&#8217;s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.&#8221;
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Trump made clear last week that he would find a way to pay troops despite the ongoing shutdown. He signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to repurpose unused funds to cover salaries in the interim.
“Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE!” Trump posted to Truth Social last week, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/get-our-troops-paid-trump-says-he-wont-let-military-suffer-due-to-dem-shutdown">highlighted</a> by The Daily Wire.
“If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” he continued. “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.”
“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,&#8221; the president added.
The funds donated by the anonymous individual might need to first receive authorization by Congress, Fox News notes.
<div aria-live="polite">Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/get-our-troops-paid-trump-says-he-wont-let-military-suffer-due-to-dem-shutdown">‘Get Our Troops Paid’: Trump Says He Won’t Let Military Suffer Due To Dem Shutdown</a></div>

Donald Trump

We Now Know Mystery Donor Who Gave $130 Million To Pay Troops During ‘Schumer Shutdown’

Executive

Military

Politics

The Democratic Party may be regretting a Wednesday night town hall that saw CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins moderating as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — both of whom identify as Democratic socialists — fielded questions from the public about the ongoing government shutdown.
Collins pressed Sanders on his own previous statements — namely that government shutdowns were &#8220;dangerous&#8221; to the American people because they put at risk not just those who worked for the federal government and might be furloughed, but also anyone who depended on services provided by the federal government in their daily lives.
Quoting Sanders directly, Collins said he&#8217;d referred to shutting down the government as &#8220;a serious and dangerous action that we must do everything possible to prevent,&#8221; before asking, &#8220;What would you say to people who are missing their paychecks about why it&#8217;s worth it now?&#8221;
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🤔 <a href="https://t.co/04CRYe4N5y">https://t.co/04CRYe4N5y</a> <a href="https://t.co/KIRQdiFH4Y">pic.twitter.com/KIRQdiFH4Y</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978631136931656039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sanders, who has repeatedly voted against the clean continuing resolution that would reopen the government, claimed that he and other Democrats would &#8220;do everything they can&#8221; to get the government reopened quickly.
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Collins then asked Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez to explain what the end of the shutdown looked like to them — and they laughed off the idea of taking President Donald Trump and Republicans at their word that health care would be up for negotiations. Instead, Ocasio-Cortez made it clear that she wouldn&#8217;t vote to reopen the government — despite the fact that the CR in question has already passed the House in spite of her no vote — until she saw legislation guaranteeing what she wanted.
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These losers — the leaders of the Democrat Party — are not serious people. They don&#8217;t have any clue what they&#8217;re talking about other than demanding free health care for illegals to vote to re-open the government.
Shame on them. <a href="https://t.co/IdygxnEB8r">pic.twitter.com/IdygxnEB8r</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978633289742045298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One question from a young woman in the audience pertained to social media messaging – and why Republicans seemed to be more effective at getting their points across. After a brief moment in which Sanders appeared to freeze like a deer in headlights, he claimed that Republicans were more effective in their messaging because their &#8220;friends&#8221; owned the big tech companies and controlled much of legacy media.
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Crazy Bernie thinks Republicans are more &#8220;effective&#8221; at messaging on social media than Democrats because tech companies and the mainstream media are in the tank for us.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/eHDjDdKjsm">pic.twitter.com/eHDjDdKjsm</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978635415507644451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sanders went on to claim — with encouragement from Ocasio-Cortez — that President Donald Trump was ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to enforce federal immigration policy because he wanted legal citizens to live in fear that they, too, could be plucked off the streets without any notice.
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Crazy Bernie says ICE raids — in which some of the most dangerous criminals on earth have been taken off American streets — are “about a movement toward authoritarianism.”
Absolutely deranged. <a href="https://t.co/wUoaPsrk9v">pic.twitter.com/wUoaPsrk9v</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978640477168578733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Things only got worse for Sanders after that, when a member of the audience — student Rohan Naval — asked him to explain how the shutdown would ultimately reflect on Senator Chuck Schumer&#8217;s (D-NY) leadership.
&#8220;I think it reflects more on [House Speaker] Mike Johnson&#8217;s leadership,&#8221; Sanders replied, failing to mention the fact that Johnson had gotten the clean CR passed in his chamber. &#8220;And President Trump&#8217;s leadership. This is a leadership that said it&#8217;s okay to — well, how do you feel? You tell me. Do you think it&#8217;s a good idea to give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in the country and then make massive cuts to health care for working-class people?&#8221;
&#8220;I think Chuck Schumer has voted for continuing resolutions 13 times in the last four years, and he has the opportunity to vote for one again, but he‘s refusing to come to the table,&#8221; Naval responded.
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Crazy Bernie just got wrecked on national television 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/G5Emm2gY6v">pic.twitter.com/G5Emm2gY6v</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978641695760662647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;As I have said, there are 53 Republicans in the Senate, correct? They need 60. What does that mean? It means you have to talk to the other side. Mike Johnson is not talking. John Thune is not talking. President Trump is not talking. That is the problem,&#8221; Sanders complained — but thus far, Democrats have not proposed compromises, and have instead made a list of demands that would undo provisions of duly passed legislation (the Big Beautiful Bill in particular) that they dislike.

Bernie Sanders And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Hold “Fighting Oligarchy” Rally In L.A.

Democrats Send Least Effective Messengers Possible To Defend Shutdown Stand-Off

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Congress

Schumer Shutdown

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1978559530712887604">addressed</a> the ongoing government shutdown, calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a &#8220;loser.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown and he’s trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he’s a loser,&#8221; Trump said during an Oval Office press conference.
The president added that he has known Schumer &#8220;all his life.&#8221;
&#8220;He’s always been sort of a loser — but an intelligent one. I think he’s losing IQ points with time,” he continued.
Trump said that he hopes not to follow Schumer down this path, but added that, if it did, he’s confident the media would be quick to report it.
As of Wednesday, the government shutdown had entered its 15th day, with no indication of ending any time soon. In the afternoon, the Senate voted again to block the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government.
The vote was 51-44. The resolution needs 60 votes to pass.
Before the vote on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said if necessary, they would vote again on Thursday.
There is growing speculation that the shutdown may not end until after the nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for this Saturday.
The protest is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-johnson-says-dems-wont-end-shutdown-until-after-no-kings-protest-internal-docs-show-he-may-be-right?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mike+Johnson+Says+Dems+Won%E2%80%99t+End+Shutdown+Until+After+%E2%80%98No+Kings%E2%80%99+Protest.+Internal+Docs+Show+He+May+Be+Right.">reportedly</a> described as a “peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976625782077227332">Fox News</a> that Democrats are holding off until then, and he &#8220;can&#8217;t believe they&#8217;re actually doing this.&#8221;
&#8220;They have a Hate America rally scheduled for Oct. 18 on the National Mall. It&#8217;s all the Pro-Hamas wing, the Antifa people, they&#8217;re all coming out,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s being told to us that they won&#8217;t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can&#8217;t face their rabid base.&#8221;

Senators Meet For Their Weekly Policy Luncheons

Trump: Schumer Is A ‘Loser’ Using The Shutdown In A Bid To ‘Get Relevance Back’

Mike Johnson

In Washington, D.C., a politician’s words don’t count for much. What counts are their actions, and who benefits from them.
When you look behind the spin and empty talking points, illegal aliens and big insurance companies benefit most from the Democrats’ ongoing filibuster of the budget and government shutdown.
First, illegal aliens and other non-citizens stand to gain roughly <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-memo-says-democrats-plan-could-spend-200b-healthcare-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$200 billion</a> in welfare benefits under Democrat proposals to cancel reforms passed by Republicans earlier this year.
Congress had to close Obama and Biden-era loopholes that provided welfare to illegal aliens, including bonus money for <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/10/fact-democrats-shut-down-government-over-free-healthcare-for-illegals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal aliens</a>’ “emergency” Medicaid, ObamaCare <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/10/fact-democrats-shut-down-government-over-free-healthcare-for-illegals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funding</a> for non-citizens, lax oversight that let illegal aliens enroll with <a href="https://thefga.org/research/loopholes-fueling-illegal-alien-medicaid-obamacare-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stolen identities</a>, and the “<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-moves-shut-down-medicaid-loophole-protects-vulnerable-americans-saves-billions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California loophole</a>,” which forced federal taxpayers to fund blue states’ welfare spending on illegal aliens.
All told, the Democrats’ plans would put taxpayers back on the hook for billions in welfare for illegal aliens, and they’re willing to shut down the government to get it.
The second beneficiary of the Democrats’ shutdown is the big insurance companies.
That’s thanks to one of President Joe Biden’s COVID-era bonus programs: a temporary policy to expand ObamaCare subsidies to insurance companies — more recently known as “<a href="https://paragoninstitute.org/private-health/the-great-obamacare-enrollment-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Great ObamaCare Enrollment Fraud</a>.”
During COVID, Democrats significantly increased taxpayer-funded Obamacare subsidies at every level, including those who make up to <a href="https://thefga.org/research/bidens-covid-credits-are-obamacare-expansion-congress-should-allow-expire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half a million dollars</a>. For the typical enrollee, taxpayers paid 100% of the premiums for a platinum-plus plan that had no deductible and few copays.
At the time, Biden’s COVID bonus was sold as a temporary boost with an expiration date — December 31, 2025 — a date unilaterally <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chosen</a> and <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00325.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to</a> by the<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48290#:~:text=The%20Fiscal%20Year%20(FY)%202022%20Budget%20Reconciliation%20Law%20(P.L.%20117%2D169)%20extended%20the%20ARPA%20provision%20for%20three%20additional%20tax%20years%2C%202023%20through%202025." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Democrats</a> in charge.
These are the credits the Democrats just shut down the government to protect.
The problem is: low-income workers aren’t the biggest beneficiaries of this plan. Insurance companies are.
The Obamacare tax credits are sent every month directly to the insurance company, regardless of what plan the enrollee chooses, and regardless of whether the enrollee uses them. Unsurprisingly, the most generous plans are selected the most often: platinum-plus. The average annual subsidy for this group has risen to about <a href="https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-reports/marketplace-products/2025-marketplace-open-enrollment-period-public-use-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$7,500 per person,</a> from the taxpayers’ pockets straight to the insurance companies’ bottom lines.
That didn’t just incentivize sign-ups — it turbocharged fraud.
Today, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services reports a <a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-9884-f-2025-pi-rule-master-5cr-062025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greater number of sign-ups</a> than the entire population of eligible Americans. Somehow, these Obamacare subsidies are being used by more enrollees than exist in the entire eligibility pool — and in some states, enrollment is five times the number of eligible enrollees.
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Insurance brokers and agents are paid a commission on sign-ups no matter how they were generated. That means taxpayer money is rewarding <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/social-media-ads-health-insurance-scams-37d1ecfa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open fraud</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/social-media-ads-health-insurance-scams-37d1ecfa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stolen identities</a>, and people being signed up or switched <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/social-media-ads-health-insurance-scams-37d1ecfa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">without their knowledge or permission</a>.
As further proof of fraud, a stunning <a href="https://thefga.org/research/bidens-covid-credits-are-obamacare-expansion-congress-should-allow-expire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40%</a> of zero-premium enrollees made no health-care claims at all in 2024 — no doctor visit, no lab tests, no prescriptions filled. The number of no-claim enrollees has increased more than sixfold since 2020.
Altogether, taxpayers are now sending more than $53 billion every year directly to insurance companies for people who never use these plans, don&#8217;t know they have them, or don&#8217;t even exist.
Still, congressional Democrats are so committed to protecting this taxpayer giveaway that they shut down the government to demand its extension.
Even when these credits do expire, taxpayers will still cover more than 90% of the premiums. The average enrollee will pay only $3 to $14 per week for platinum-plus plans.
The voters saw through this nonsense when they gave Republicans their majorities in Congress — in no small part because of their pledges on government spending and illegal immigration.
So why would Republicans cave on both issues today, simply to save the Democrats from having to eat their words?
Jonathan Ingram is the Vice President of Policy and Research at the Foundation for Government Accountability.
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Who Benefits From Democrats’ Shutdown Plan? Illegal Aliens And Big Insurance

Illegal Immigation

Obamacare

WASHINGTON—With the government shutdown showing no signs of ending, House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Daily Wire that Democrats are &#8220;wandering in the wilderness,&#8221; without a leader or policy platform.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s the leaders of these radical leftist groups that are leading Chuck Schumer around as if he has a nose ring,&#8221; Johnson said in a Friday interview with Republican lawmakers.
“They don&#8217;t have a platform they can run on. They don’t have a policy that is palatable to the American people. They were roundly refuted, of course, in the last election, and they&#8217;re wandering in the wilderness.&#8221;
“When you don&#8217;t stand for something, you fall for anything,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And that&#8217;s what you&#8217;re seeing right now.&#8221;
Johnson also said he doesn’t believe Democrats have an “identified leader,&#8221; referencing former President Donald Trump’s October 7<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnRQP628zfM" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> press conference</a>, where he claimed the party has “no leader.”
Johnson challenged Democrats to name the leader of their party, stating: “I don’t think they can — they don’t have one.”
The Speaker said he believes that the &#8220;most radical fringe voices in the party&#8221; took over during President Joe Biden’s administration, whom he described as “personally checked out.&#8221;
&#8220;I think they guided and pushed so many of the decisions of that administration, and I think they&#8217;re feeling empowered,&#8221; Johnson said.
While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported a continuing resolution earlier this year in March, Johnson pointed to the Senate New York Democrat&#8217;s recent reversal.
Schumer has been objecting to the House&#8217;s resolution over healthcare provisions, with a proposal<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/more-lies-from-johnson-and-gop-leader-schumer-debunks-gop-lies-and-deception-amid-trump-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> he said</a> &#8220;aims to reverse the Republicans’ devastating cuts to Medicaid and extend the [Affordable Care Act] tax credits.”
&#8220;The party tried to descend upon the head of Chuck Schumer in March, when he voted the right way to keep the government open, and he is no longer willing to submit to that pain, and so he&#8217;s going to inflict pain on everybody else,” Johnson said.
Johnson warned that it is “dangerous” for the American people and the country to have “the most radical fringe groups in America guiding policy for one of the two major parties.”
The Daily Wire also spoke with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who made it clear where he thinks Democratic leadership is headed.
&#8220;Mamdani is about to become the leader of the party. I mean, there&#8217;s no doubt, he is speaking for the core of the new far-left base of the Democrat party,&#8221; Scalise said.
Scalise was referencing Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race who has<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-campaign-caught-in-foreign-donation-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reportedly</a> faced criticism over nearly $13,000 in foreign contributions that may breach campaign finance laws.
Scalise went on to say that the power center of the party has shifted firmly to the socialist Left.
“They&#8217;re either endorsing him or quietly meeting with him, but there is not a single prominent Democrat who&#8217;s denounced the vile things he said about Israel, about [the] October 7 attacks from Hamas two years ago, any of that because they&#8217;re scared to death of him, because he&#8217;s about to be the leader of their party.&#8221;
Johnson pointed out that while some say this is great news for Republicans because they now have a &#8220;foil,&#8221; it’s still “terribly dangerous for the future of our country to have a rise of actual open Marxists now being elected to office.&#8221; Johnson also stressed that it’s “something that we’ve got to confront head on.”
Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger also pointed to a glaring absence of Democratic leadership, asking, “Where are the veterans who served standing up to say, ‘enough is enough’?”
He pressed further by questioning why Democrats with military backgrounds, or those with family members serving, aren’t stepping forward to say the same.
&#8220;Why are we not doing the right thing? It&#8217;s because they&#8217;re caving and bowing down to this radical side that has shown that they have the aptitude for violence, that has shown that they have a desire for an anarchist mentality, and it&#8217;s really dangerous,&#8221; Pfluger said.
Pfluger argued that Democrats have made a critical miscalculation regarding President Trump.
&#8220;What a contrast between what they&#8217;re doing, which is obstructing any and all prosperity and security measures that the United States can take, and here&#8217;s President Trump, who&#8217;s jumping in, and he&#8217;s closing a major and historic peace deal in the Middle East, bringing together so many different countries and solving an issue that nobody else can solve,&#8221; Pfluger said.
Despite ongoing obstruction from the “radical Left,” Pfluger said the president is relentlessly pushing forward.
He believes Democrats “miscalculated” the government shutdown because Trump “just keeps on going,” making progress on the agenda “that the American people so desperately elected him to do.”
Scalise said Republicans will continue to work to “get the facts out — whether the mainstream media covers it or not.”
“We&#8217;re going to keep fighting and glad President Trump is continuing to do his job, despite the Democrats trying every day to block everything he does,” Scalise said.
Another vote for the Senate to pass the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government is expected to take place Tuesday evening, around 5:30 p.m.

Mike Johnson 9/10/25

Speaker Johnson Says Dems Are ‘Wandering In The Wilderness’ With No Leader And No Platform

Steve Scalise

Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills launched a Senate campaign on Tuesday to challenge incumbent moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 
Mills enters a crowded Democratic primary that already features military veteran Graham Platner, who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Jordan Wood, a onetime congressional aide for former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA). Collins’ seat is on the ballot in November 2026, and Democrats are targeting it as one of their few opportunities to gain ground in a Senate map that tilts toward the GOP.
Mills&#8217; campaign announcement focused on her feuds with the Trump administration. 
“We stood up to Trump and stopped him from cutting the school lunch program from Maine kids,&#8221; Mills <a href="https://x.com/JanetMillsforME/status/1978053434885484711">said</a>. &#8220;But there are too many politicians in Washington, including Susan Collins, who&#8217;ve forgotten their principles and let bullies like Trump have their way, and it&#8217;s hurting many people. I&#8217;ve never backed down from a bully, and I never will.&#8221; 
“Honestly, if this president and this congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn&#8217;t be running for the U.S. Senate,” she said. 
Trump’s Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-unleashes-on-maine-announces-new-lawsuit-against-state-for-violating-title-ix?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo+and+Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bondi+Unleashes+On+Maine%2C+Announces+New+Lawsuit+Against+State+For+Violating+Title+IX">sued</a> Maine earlier this year for allowing boys to compete in women’s sports, arguing that the state was violating Title IX protections for women’s spaces. The Trump administration has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-suspending-more-maine-funds-this-time-over-discriminatory-quotas?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Suspending+More+Maine+Funds+—+This+Time+Over+Discriminatory+Quotas">challenged</a> the state’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife over diversity, equity, and inclusion measures. 
While Mills&#8217; ad played up the ties between Collins and Trump, the Maine Republican <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00015.htm">voted</a> against the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense and opposed Trump&#8217;s cuts to foreign aid.
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Republican National Committee Regional Communications Director Delanie Bomar said that Mills&#8217; entrance into the race would only lead to an expensive primary. 
“Janet Mills, Graham Platner, or whatever other leftist emerges from this Democrat primary will be too extreme and socialist for Maine,” Bomar said. “One thing is for certain: Bernie Sanders is right that Democrats will waste millions trying to defeat Senator Susan Collins.&#8221;
The Maine Democratic primary could turn into a fight between different factions of the Senate. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/janet-mills-enters-crowded-maine-senate-race-00597876">reportedly</a> wanted Mills to run, while Sanders, a leftist independent who caucuses with the Democrats, urged her to stay out of the race. 
“Graham Platner is a great working class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins,” Sanders wrote on X last week. “It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Governor Mills to run. We need to focus on winning that seat &amp; not waste millions on an unnecessary &amp; divisive primary.”

MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-22-AM-5441

Blue-On-Blue Brawl: Democrat Governor Eyes GOP Senate Seat, Triggers Leftist Power Struggle

Bernie Sanders

Elections

Maine

Senate

Susan Collins

House Speaker Mike Johnson unloaded on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer during a Sunday morning interview, saying that the New York Senator was being intentionally dishonest about which party was driving the ongoing government shutdown.
Johnson joined anchor Shannon Bream on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; to discuss the shutdown and whether or not the end was in sight, and he argued that Schumer was allowing the federal government to stay closed in order to protect himself from the backlash he got for moving to keep the government open and avert the last potential shutdown in March.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on the Democrat shutdown: &#8220;Chuck Schumer, when he voted for the EXACT SAME measure back in March, took a lot of heat from the left of his party, and he doesn&#8217;t want to sustain that any longer. So, he&#8217;s doing this and inflicting pain for his own selfish reasons.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZN8YS74p0C">pic.twitter.com/ZN8YS74p0C</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977378948355891452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson first responded to Schumer&#8217;s repeated claims that Republicans could reopen the government any time they wanted to because they controlled the House, the White House, and the Senate.
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&#8220;Chuck Schumer is incapable of telling the truth right now,&#8221; Johnson began. &#8220;I mean, he&#8217;s been in Congress for 44 years, Shannon, I mean almost half a century. He knows this is basic civics. Every eighth grade civics student can point out the fallacy in what he just said. It requires 60 votes in the Senate to get this through. We only have 53 Republicans. We&#8217;ve got to have a handful of Democrats in the Senate who apply common sense and agree to reopen the government so that we can continue all these discussions.&#8221;
Johnson went on to point out that the Continuing Resolution on the table – which would reopen the government temporarily and has already been passed by the House — would keep the current levels of spending as they are and give Congress time to negotiate any changes.
&#8220;We just need seven more weeks to finish it, and right now they&#8217;re eating up the clock. They&#8217;re doing this for political cover,&#8221; Johnson explained. &#8220;Chuck Schumer, when he voted for the EXACT SAME measure back in March, took a lot of heat from the left of his party, and he doesn&#8217;t want to sustain that any longer. So, he&#8217;s doing this and inflicting pain for his own selfish reasons.&#8221;

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA)

Mike Johnson Unloads On Schumer, Says Senate Dem Is ‘Inflicting Pain For His Own Selfish Reasons’

Mike Johnson Unloads On Schumer, Says Senate Dem Is 'Inflicting Pain For His Own Selfish Reasons'

Media

Vice President JD Vance argued on Sunday that Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), were more interested in holding the federal government &#8220;hostage&#8221; than in negotiating an end to the ongoing government shutdown.
Vance, speaking with CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan, said that Democrats did not want to talk about health care — what they wanted was to use the shutdown to make demands until the White House and Republicans in Congress simply capitulated and gave them everything.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When pressed on why President Trump hasn’t met with congressional leaders at the White House to negotiate a deal to reopen the government, Vice President JD Vance tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: “This isn&#8217;t a deal-making. This isn&#8217;t a negotiation. This is hostage-taking.”
“If Chuck Schumer… <a href="https://t.co/Io73ycakfW">pic.twitter.com/Io73ycakfW</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977385857335140403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;When I pressed Leader Schumer on this program just last Sunday about this, about reopening the government, and he said it&#8217;s going to take getting everyone in the same room with the President of the United States — only the five people including the president can solve it,&#8221; Brennan recalled, asking Vance why President Donald Trump has not demanded that congressional leaders return to Washington in order to get that done.
&#8220;Well, as Chuck Schumer said, it&#8217;s not all lawmakers, it&#8217;s the Senate leadership that really is driving this shutdown,&#8221; Vance replied, noting that the Republican-led House had already passed a Continuing Resolution that would reopen the government, at least temporarily.
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&#8220;But the president says he&#8217;s a deal-maker,&#8221; Brennan interrupted. &#8220;Why doesn&#8217;t he force a deal here?&#8221;
&#8220;Margaret, it&#8217;s a totally fair question, and the answer is because this isn&#8217;t a deal-making. This isn&#8217;t a negotiation. This is hostage-taking,&#8221; Vance declared. &#8220;Chuck Schumer has not said to us, &#8216;This is what we need,&#8217; he&#8217;s said, &#8216;Unless you give us what we need, we&#8217;re going to shut down the government. That is a totally different thing.&#8221;
&#8220;If Chuck Schumer wants to come into the Oval Office or come to my house, he is welcome to talk about how to fix health care policy for Americans,&#8221; the vice president added. &#8220;But you don&#8217;t come into the Oval Office and say, unless you, the president of the United States, give us everything that I want, I&#8217;m going to shut down the government.&#8221;
Vance echoed the sentiments expressed late last week by CNBC anchor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnbcs-joe-kernen-blisters-hakeem-jeffries-over-democrat-fueled-shutdown">Joe Kernen</a>, who challenged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries directly about the demands Democrats were making.
&#8220;There was an election, and the Republicans were put in a position where they were able to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, or as you call it the ‘Big Ugly Bill.’ To then say, ‘We don’t like any of that, so we’re going to shut down the government until you take back all the things that you duly passed through legislation …&#8217;” Kernen began, arguing that if the shoe were on the other foot, Democrats would be angry — and rightfully so.
“If Republicans had tried to do that to the Inflation Reduction Act or the — any of the acts that Biden and that administration have passed — if they said we’re going to shut down the government because we don’t like any of those things you did, ‘we’re not going to pay our military, we are going to not allow the government to reopen until you do what we want’ – after an election where the American people put Democrats in power – you’d be going crazy!” he said.

Vance Torches Margaret Brennan Over Schumer Shutdown Narrative: ‘This Is Not A Negotiation’

JD Vance

Margaret Brennan

WASHINGTON—Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought confirmed Friday on <a href="https://x.com/russvought/status/1976686105199268177" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> that his team has begun terminating federal employees as the government shutdown rounds out its second week.
“The RIFs have begun,” Vought said, referencing “reductions in force,” the technical term for federal government layoffs. Daily Wire’s White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1976699856648540196" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> the reductions are “substantial.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reacted to the news on <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1976727561079341424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X,</a> accusing the Trump administration of sowing “deliberate chaos.”
“Russell Vought just fired thousands of Americans with a tweet. Let’s be blunt: Nobody&#8217;s forcing Trump and Vought to do this,” Schumer wrote. “They don’t have to do it. They want to. They&#8217;re callously choosing to hurt people — the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike,” he continued.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced his intention to use a potential government shutdown to continue his administration’s efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Speaking to reporters this week, Trump said that “Because of the shutdown,” his team would be “able to take out billions and billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse,” saying that Democrats “made a big mistake” by keeping the government closed.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Friday told reporters the White House has for 10 days “laid off doing anything in hopes that enough Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing and fund the government.”
But after another failed Senate vote Thursday night, Thune signaled the administration would take action.
“That’s what a shutdown does. You put the administration and this presidency in a position where they’re gonna have to make some hard decisions,” Thune said.
Now that federal employees are going to start to miss paychecks, “this gets real,” he said.
“I just think that the White House, my expectation is, yes, they’re going to start making some decisions about how to move money around, which agencies and departments are going to be impacted, which programs are going to be impacted, which employees are going to be impacted,” Thune said.
Not all Republicans are united behind the White House’s RIF effort.
“I strongly oppose OMB Director Russ Vought’s attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been furloughed due to a completely unnecessary government shutdown caused by Senator Schumer,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Friday.
“Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public.”
Collins said, “Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country.”
The American Federation of Government Employees — a union that represents more than 800,000 workers in the federal government and the District of Columbia — is suing to block the Trump administration from “illegally” firing thousands of federal employees.
“Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and unelected leaders,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “It’s time for Congress to do their jobs and negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately.”

Russell Vought

‘The RIFs Have Begun’: OMB Director Confirms Federal Layoffs Amid Shutdown Stalemate

layoffs

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Russ Vought

WASHINGTON — The White House and its allies are circling Chuck Schumer&#8217;s wagon, and he&#8217;s not making it that hard for them.
&#8220;Every day gets better for us,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/schumer-dems-momentum/">said in an interview with Punchbowl News</a>. “It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance, and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30, and we prepared for it&#8230;Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two.”
That first line was yet another messaging gem for Republicans who have argued that Democrats do not care about whether the shutdown is hurting Americans, and he drew criticism from not only Vice President JD Vance and a slew of other angry Republicans, but also the president himself.
&#8220;Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans,&#8221; posted Vance on Thursday morning. &#8220;What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country.&#8221;
&#8220;Chuck Schumer proclaimed this morning that every day gets better for them,&#8221; Trump said during today&#8217;s cabinet meeting. &#8220;No, it&#8217;s actually getting worse for them. &#8230; This is a confession that he&#8217;s acting not to serve the people, but to serve the partisan interests of his party.&#8221;
The White House put out messaging promptly on Thursday morning arguing that the &#8220;disgusting claim&#8221; is a &#8220;sickening display of elitist indifference&#8221; as the shutdown &#8220;plunges hardworking Americans into anxiety, despair, and financial ruin.&#8221;
&#8220;His arrogance lays bare the Democrats’ sick betrayal of service members missing paychecks, families turning to food pantries to survive, small businesses teetering on the brink, and travelers facing excruciating delays,&#8221; the White House argued.
<div id="attachment_983773" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-republicans-circle-chuck-schumer-as-shutdown-continues/president-trump-holds-cabinet-meeting-at-the-white-house-2" rel="attachment wp-att-983773"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983773" class="wp-image-983773 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240149696-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240149696-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240149696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240149696-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240149696.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; OCTOBER 09: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House on October 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</div>
“Definitely terrifying thinking in my head, ‘Oh God, how are we going to pay for our bills? How are we going to afford our rent? How are we going to pay for her formula, her diapers, everything?’&#8221; said an unnamed military spouse, cited by the White House, whose family is reportedly in crisis as service members go without pay. &#8220;Our military, they’re the ones that sign the government contract to go fight for our country. But our lawmakers who are supposed to be in charge of our country, they aren’t really doing what’s best for the American people.”
The White House messaging also quoted an air traffic controller who must continue fulfilling his job responsibilities without knowing whether he will get his next paycheck: “The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety. When someone responsible for thousands of lives a day is worrying about whether they can pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts. Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown. Now, we’re drowning.”
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The bottom line, the White House argues, is that Americans want the &#8220;Democrat shutdown to end,&#8221; and they &#8220;know Democrats are to blame.&#8221;
&#8220;While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that &#8216;every day gets better&#8217; for them,&#8221; wrote Karoline Leavitt in a scathing post on X. &#8220;What a disgusting and revealing statement.  Democrats are gleeful about inflicting pain on the American people.&#8221;
Schumer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The president also argued during his cabinet meeting that Schumer knows he is in deep political trouble, potentially facing an ouster from Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who continues to assert herself as a leader in the shutdown fight.
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<div id="id__xxh9kvp1k3s" class="css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText"> &#8220;AOC said that they can come to her office and negotiate, the Republicans,&#8221; Trump said in his cabinet meeting. &#8220;And we&#8217;re saying, oh, I didn&#8217;t know she was in leadership! She&#8217;s taking Hakeem Jeffries&#8217; place and Schumer&#8217;s afraid that she&#8217;s gonna run against him &#8230; right now, I don&#8217;t think he can beat anybody. He&#8217;ll lose in a primary. I would say he&#8217;ll retire before he loses in a primary. I think Schumer&#8217;s gonna retire, because he can&#8217;t beat anybody, his polls are so bad.&#8221;</div>
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White House, Republicans Circle Chuck Schumer As Shutdown Continues

Democrat

White House

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is under fire for saying “every day gets better” for Democrats during the government shutdown.
Speaking to Punchbowl News, the New York Democrat explained why he was confident in the Democratic Party’s strategy as the government shutdown winds through its second week with no signs of stopping.
“Every day gets better for us,” <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/schumer-dems-momentum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schumer said.</a> “It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30 and we prepared for it … Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two.”
Republicans quickly took issue with Schumer’s comment.
“Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans,” Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://x.com/jdvance?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X. “What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans.
What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country. <a href="https://t.co/P9bpss06s1">https://t.co/P9bpss06s1</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1976271822535696840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that ‘every day gets better’ for them,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that “every day gets better” for them.
What a disgusting and revealing statement.
Democrats… <a href="https://t.co/OzugEJjSuS">pic.twitter.com/OzugEJjSuS</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1976255131604627497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“What a disgusting and revealing statement. Democrats are gleeful about inflicting pain on the American people.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote on X that Schumer “said the quiet part out loud.&#8221;
Schumer&#8217;s comment left Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) with more questions than answers.
“Better for us. Who is us? Not our military working without pay. Not law enforcement. Not air traffic controllers,” the senator asked.
Schumer is very much aware of the shutdown’s disruptions, <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1975974697595494645" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishing</a> a lengthy list on X last night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s now been a full week of Donald Trump&#8217;s government shutdown.
700,000+ federal employees furloughed 
Disruptions to critical services 
Businesses nationwide with government contracts are in peril
Because Donald Trump and the Republicans would rather close the government than…
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1975974697595494645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“700,000+ federal employees furloughed, the disruption to critical services, businesses nationwide with government contracts in peril.”
As the shutdown drags on, more and more government services will cease operating. The Daily Wire reported this week that the shutdown has led to massive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-face-flight-delays-as-government-shutdown-fuels-air-traffic-control-woes?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Americans+Face+Flight+Delays+As+Government+Shutdown+Fuels+Air+Traffic+Control+Woes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flight delays</a> and prevented the release of the latest monthly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-government-shutdown-means-theres-no-september-jobs-report-is-that-bad?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Government+Shutdown+Means+There%E2%80%99s+No+September+Jobs+Report.+Is+That+Bad%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jobs report.</a>
The shutdown could also have a negative impact on the economy as a whole.
“Each week, a shutdown subtracts about 0.1% of annualized GDP growth via reduced government activity,” Chief U.S. economist at J.P. Morgan Michael Feroli <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/current-events/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “For as long as the government shutdown goes on, we will be iterating a little bit blind.”
A growing number of Americans — including active-duty service members — will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-will-miss-paychecks-if-shutdown-doesnt-end-tonight?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Americans+Will+Miss+Paychecks+If+Shutdown+Doesn%E2%80%99t+End+Tonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">miss paychecks</a> as the shutdown continues.
Instead of a paycheck, federal employees received a letter to pass along to their lenders and creditors asking for consideration given “the unforeseeable nature of this furlough when making decisions that affect employees finances.”
Lawmakers like Schumer are paid throughout the shutdown.

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Karoline Leavitt

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