Democrats’ Government Shutdown Enters Week Three

Majority Leader | Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSR...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board10.15.25Democrats’ Government Shutdown Enters Week ThreeAmericans Across the Country Bear the Brunt as Democrats Cater to Their Progressive Base DEMOCRATS ARE STILL VOTING TO APPEASE THEIR PROGRESSIVE BASE BY KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT CLOSED“This is Day 15 of the government shutdown. There’s no resolution in sight to the crisis.” (Punchbowl News: AM: A massive week in the battle for control of the House – 10/15/25)Senate Democrats have voted nine times against funding the government via a clean continuing resolution (CR) the House has already passed. (H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #572 – 10/15/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #571 – 10/14/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #558 – 10/9/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #551 – 10/8/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #545 – 10/6/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #543 – 10/3/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #537 – 10/1/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #535 – 9/30/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #528 – 9/19/25)“There is a clean funding bill on the table. Only a handful of Senate Democrats need to vote for it. Then they can get all the lights back on and fight over Obamacare subsidies.” (The Washington Post: Editorial: Why the White House might dial up the shutdown pain – 10/7/25)Democrats’ motivation to keep the government shut down is clear:“Liberal groups are throwing their money and followers into fortifying Democratic resolve in the lengthening shutdown fight, bolstering vulnerable incumbents who stand firm and preparing to pounce on any wayward senators who show signs of wavering...” (Bloomberg: Progressives Maneuver to Maintain Democratic Unity on Shutdown – 10/10/25)“Left-wing group Indivisible is planning to hold a rally in DC on October 18, and have been adamant that Democratic lawmakers hold their position. ‘I’m telling every elected I talk to: millions will be out cheering you on, or they’ll be calling for new leadership,’ Indivisible’s co-executive director Ezra Levin told CNN.”(CNN: Democrats say even missed paychecks for US troops won’t be enough to end shutdown alone – 10/9/25)“[Sen. Bernie] Sanders and [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez, perhaps the two most high-profile voices in the progressive movement, have mobilized their supporters to keep up the pressure on Democratic leaders. It was, in part, because of that highly visible groundswell from the left that led Schumer to change course this September and jump with both feet into the current shutdown fight.” (CNN: How Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez primed the Democratic Party for a shutdown fight – 10/15/25)Thanks to this left-wing pressure, Democrats are happy to keep the government closed:“Every day gets better for us.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)“You know, I think [for] Democrats, it’s so far, so good.” – Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)“I feel only pressure to fight.” – Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)WHILE DEMOCRATS THINK “EVERY DAY GETS BETTER” FOR THEM, EVERYDAY AMERICANS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES“Flights are delayed. Tax hotlines are quiet. Farmers can’t get their loans. The government shutdown, two weeks old, is beginning to reach Americans.” (The New York Times: The Shutdown Enters Its Third Week – 8/15/25)“For many Americans, across party lines, concern over the government shutdown means concern about its potential impact on the economy, among other things.” (CBS News poll – 10/5/25)“A shutdown of the U.S. government could hinder the accessibility of insurance coverage to prospective homeowners in flood-prone areas, and cost the already struggling housing market billions of dollars in delayed contract closings, data showed on Tuesday.” (Reuters: US government shutdown threatens home sales in flood-prone areas, report says – 10/14/25)“‘This represents the largest potential disruption to the U.S. housing market from a single policy intervention in recent history,’ said Michele Lawrie, real estate consultant at HomeAbroad. ‘The economic scale of this shutdown extends far beyond individual homebuyers.’” (Reuters: US government shutdown threatens home sales in flood-prone areas, report says – 10/14/25)“The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families says they're being forced to stop processing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (SNAP), or food stamp applications, starting Wednesday because of the government shutdown. State leaders say the 440,000+ Minnesotans getting SNAP benefits are facing funding deadlines with dire consequences.” (CBS Minnesota: Minnesota to stop processing SNAP benefits amid federal government shutdown – 10/15/25)“‘I don't know what I would do if there wasn't a food shelf or SNAP,’ said Markita Banks of Minneapolis. ‘Since March 2025, the demographic is very different from what it was before. People are coming here who've never had to ever visit a food shelf,’ said Sharon Abel, the executive director for the Groveland Emergency Food Shelf. Abel says need at the food shelf, based in Minneapolis' Stevens Square neighborhood, has drastically increased.” (CBS Minnesota: Minnesota to stop processing SNAP benefits amid federal government shutdown – 10/15/25)“The ongoing government shutdown is delaying the announcement of the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for tens of millions of beneficiaries. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the 2024 Social Security COLA announcement will now be Oct. 24.” (Associated Press: Social Security cost-of-living increase announcement delayed by government shutdown – 10/15/25)“The agency adjusts its benefits every year based on inflation. The postponement of the announcement is the most recent example of how the government shutdown, entering its third week and with little progress made toward a resolution, has made it more difficult for people to plan out their finances.” (Associated Press: Social Security cost-of-living increase announcement delayed by government shutdown – 10/15/25)“With every passing day of the government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay face mounting financial strain.” (Associated Press: Federal workers endure financial strain and fear layoffs as the government shutdown drags on – 10/15/25)“‘Luckily I was able to pay rent this month,’ said Peter Farruggia, a furloughed federal worker. ‘But for sure I am going to have bills that are going to go unpaid this month, and I really don’t have many options.’” (Associated Press: Federal workers endure financial strain and fear layoffs as the government shutdown drags on – 10/15/25)“Federal employee Amy Nelson said the IRS has been out of work for one week. ‘It’s just scary,’ Nelson said. ‘We don’t know how long this is going to go on. We got our last paychecks last Friday. We don’t know how long they have to last.’” (KSLTV 5: Utah federal workers feeling impacts of government shutdown – 10/14/25)“Officers with the U.S. Capitol Police, tasked with protecting elected officials on Capitol Hill and keeping the complex safe, missed their full paycheck for the first time since the government shutdown began 14 days ago, according to their union.” (NBC News: U.S. Capitol Police officers miss first full paychecks due to government shutdown – 10/14/25)A DEMOCRAT AIDE SAID THEY WOULD END THEIR SHUTDOWN WHEN PLANES START “FALLING OUT OF THE SKY” – BUT DEMOCRATS’ SHUTDOWN IS ALREADY HAVING SERIOUS EFFECTS ON AIR TRAVEL One “senior Democratic aide said as long as public perception is in their favor, the party will not concede short of ‘planes falling out of the sky.’” (CNN: Democrats say even missed paychecks for US troops won’t be enough to end shutdown alone – 10/9/25)“The U.S government shutdown has introduced risk and danger to our national airspace, according to air traffic controllers who are now working without pay.” (Chicago Sun Times: Unpaid air traffic controllers say government shutdown endangers flyers – 10/14/25)“Since the shutdown began Oct. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration has reported controller shortages in cities across the U.S., from airports in Boston and Philadelphia, to control centers in Atlanta and Houston. Flight delays have spread to airports in Nashville, Dallas, Newark and more.” (Associated Press: The government shutdown is putting a renewed spotlight on the cracks in the US aviation system – 10/15/25)There are currently 14,000 air traffic controllers and 61,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who are working without pay. (Federal Aviation Administration: FAA Hits Air Traffic Controller Hiring Goal – 9/23/24; Associated Press: Staffing shortages cause more US flight delays as government shutdown reaches seventh day – 10/7/25; CNN: Democrats say even missed paychecks for US troops won’t be enough to end shutdown alone – 10/9/25; TSA: post on X – 10/1/25; TSA: post on X – 10/1/25)“[T]he added stress brought on by the shutdown, and the loss of furloughed support staff that maintain critical systems, makes their job harder — and the skies less safe, the union said Tuesday as its members passed out brochures to travelers at O’Hare Airport.” (Chicago Sun Times: Unpaid air traffic controllers say government shutdown endangers flyers – 10/14/25)“‘Anytime that you reduce any type of staffing in a safety-critical occupation, holes develop in that safety net,’ said Matt Ellington, an air traffic controller and facility representative for the union’s O’Hare local.” (Chicago Sun Times: Unpaid air traffic controllers say government shutdown endangers flyers – 10/14/25)“‘How am I going to pay the mortgage? How am I going to pay the car payment? How am I going to pay for day care?’ asked Drew MacQueen, vice president of NATCA’s Great Lakes region. ‘It’s just another level of stress on top of already the amount of stress that they work under all the time. It’s just something that needs to stop.’” (Chicago Sun Times: Unpaid air traffic controllers say government shutdown endangers flyers – 10/14/25)“Charles Jacques has been an air traffic controller at PHL for 18 years, and this is his third time experiencing the effects of a government shutdown. ‘It's starting to affect our daily lives,’ he told CBS News Philadelphia. ‘We're worrying about how to pay our bills and our mortgages and car payments and stuff like that instead of just focusing solely on our job.’” (CBS News Philadelphia: As government shutdown continues, Philadelphia air traffic controllers urge travelers to contact lawmakers – 10/14/25)“‘This is probably one of the most well-known stressful jobs in the world,’ Ellington said. ‘When you couple that with no paycheck, not knowing when you’re going to get a paycheck — it’s unnecessary stress for an extremely stressful job that allows zero mistakes.’” (Chicago Sun Times: Unpaid air traffic controllers say government shutdown endangers flyers – 10/14/25)PrintEmailTweetNextPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram