OPINION
Schumer's Shutdown: Every Day 'Gets Better' for Democrats, Worse for America
It didn't have to be this way.
For three weeks, hardworking Americans, from our troops and border agents to TSA workers and park rangers, have been caught in the crossfire of a completely avoidable government shutdown.
This isn't about healthcare, protecting Americans, or fiscal responsibility.
It's about politics, plain and simple. It's Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).
We did our job as U.S. House Republicans.
We passed a clean, commonsense continuing resolution to fund the government at the same levels the Democrats themselves supported thirteen times before.
We voted to keep the lights on, to pay our troops, and to protect vital health care services for the American people.
But Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused.
They chose to hold the government hostage in exchange for their wish list of radical left-wing policies, including a $450 billion bailout for Obamacare subsidies that were meant to be temporary pandemic measures.
They're dying on the hill of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), convincing Americans it's in their best interest, when all the program does is line the pockets of insurers and limit patient access to networks.
They say they're fighting for you and your healthcare.
In reality, their funding bill strips support for rural hospitals out of the One Big Beautiful Bill (the OBBBA).
Democrats are deceiving the American people, causing pain in the process, and bragging about it.
Sen. Schumer was quoted saying, "Every day it gets better" for Democrats during this shutdown. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has also previously declared, "It is not normal for us to shut down the government when we don't get what we want."
But that's exactly what they've done. On top of that, a senior Democratic aide said they’re not conceding “short of planes falling out of the sky.”
Shameful.
If not for President Trump's leadership, our servicemembers and their families would still be going without paychecks.
He also used $300 million of tariff revenue to temporarily fund the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), which many rely on.
He used his authority to reallocate funds so that the men and women who defend our freedom, and our most vulnerable, wouldn't suffer because of Washington's dysfunction.
However, millions of American families are feeling the ripple effects.
From delayed travel and suspended small business loans to missed paychecks and strained household budgets, the consequences are real, and unnecessary.
It has been estimated that Texas's Gross State Product is declining by approximately $1.4 billion each week, and 4,100 people will have lost their jobs.
And that's just in Texas.
This is what happens when Democrats put politics before people.
When they prioritize their party's talking points over the livelihoods of Americans. When they weaponize the federal government to score headlines instead of doing their jobs.
Make no mistake: this shutdown is not about Republicans refusing to fund the government, it's about Democrats refusing to lead responsibly. It was only one year ago that Sen. Schumer said, "Keeping the government open will mean no poison pills or reckless partisan posturing."
It'd be nice if he could stand by those beliefs now.
The American people deserve better. They deserve a government that works for them, not against them. A government that funds its troops, secures its border, unleashes American energy, and keeps our economy strong.
House Republicans have already shown we're willing to do the work. Thirty-two days ago, we voted to keep the government open, and we haven't gone anywhere. It's time for Senate Democrats to stop playing games, end this political stunt, and get back to governing.
Rep. Brian Babin, DDS, has represented Texas' 36th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, since 2015.
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