Democrats View Food Assistance, Early Education Programs for Children, and Government Paychecks as “Leverage”

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Despite Even Democrat-Friendly Unions’ Pleas to End It, Democrats Remain Undeterred. (Click here to download) AS DEMOCRATS’ SHUTDOWN ENTERS ITS FIFTH WEEK, UNIONS ARE PLEADING WITH DEMOCRATS TO PASS THE CLEAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION TO REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT “The path forward for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.” – American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley“Democrats grappled Monday with the first major fraying of their coalition amid the government shutdown, with a federal employee union calling for them to stand down four weeks into the standoff.” (Politico: Democrats face moment of truth as shutdown coalition frays – 10/27/25)“The push by the American Federation of Government Employees for Congress to immediately pass a ‘clean’ stopgap funding bill, which is what has been offered by Republicans, is among a laundry list of pressure points that are bearing down on lawmakers.” (Politico: Democrats face moment of truth as shutdown coalition frays – 10/27/25)“AFGE’s legislative director, Daniel Horowitz, told NOTUS that the union considers [the clean CR], which has been blocked by Senate Democrats [13] times, ‘an acceptable option’ — effectively taking the GOP’s position on how to get the government to reopen.” (NOTUS: Democrats Say Federal Workers Don’t Want Them to Cave. Their Union Says Otherwise. – 10/27/25; H.R. 5371: Roll Call Vote #590 – 10/28/25)Just yesterday, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called to “end the shutdown today,” saying, “[t]here is no excuse that these hardworking men and women are showing up to do this job and to not ever know when they're going to get paid again.” (Rapid Response 47: post on X – 10/28/25)“The head of a major New York City labor union called on congressional lawmakers Monday to pass a Republican-backed measure to end the 27-day-long government shutdown. ‘On behalf of thousands of hardworking men and women in New York and our retirees, Steamfitters Local 638 of New York City and Long Island urges our political leaders to pass the clean continuing resolution so that the American people don’t bear the burden of Washington’s inaction.’” (New York Post: NYC Steamfitters union urges lawmakers to pass stopgap funding bill to end government shutdown – 10/27/25)“It’s giving some Democrats heartburn, but there are no signs yet that they are switching their votes on Republicans’ stopgap bill.” (Semafor: Benefits cliff amps up pressure on Senate Democrats – 10/28/25)“‘You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,’ said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., of the conundrum. ‘If you were to ask me to go right now to vote, I would vote no’ on the stopgap, he said.” (Semafor: Benefits cliff amps up pressure on Senate Democrats – 10/28/25)“Several other Democrats said that the confluence of deadlines, along with union angst, is doing little to change the fundamental dynamics.” (Semafor: Benefits cliff amps up pressure on Senate Democrats – 10/28/25)BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATS’ SHUTDOWN, MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICANS ARE SET TO LOSE FOOD ASSISTANCE AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ARE ABOUT TO GO WITHOUT EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS“NOTE: Twice as many Americans are on SNAP than are on Obamacare market.” (CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns: post on X – 10/28/25)“Food banks are already seeing a surge as tens of millions of families prepare for their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to freeze.” (Axios: Food banks brace for 42 million without SNAP – 10/27/25)“About 42 million Americans are poised to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when federal funding comes to a halt on Nov. 1 amid the government shutdown.” (ABC News: Some Americans prepare for halt in SNAP benefits: 'I’m going to have hungry kids' – 10/27/25)“Democrats have held fast to their demands that negotiations be made over Affordable Care Act subsidies before the government is reopened.” (ABC News: Some Americans prepare for halt in SNAP benefits: 'I’m going to have hungry kids' – 10/27/25)“‘If 42 million Americans and more than 260,000 retailers don't receive $8 billion worth of grocery support in a week's time, we are going to see the greatest hunger crisis since the Great Depression, and that's not hyperbole. That's just true,’ Joel Berg, CEO of the non-profit Hunger Free America, told ABC News.” (ABC News: Some Americans prepare for halt in SNAP benefits: 'I’m going to have hungry kids' – 10/27/25)“Many Head Start programs across the country could be forced to close at the end of this week if the federal government shutdown continues, jeopardizing free child care and other services for tens of thousands of families with young children.” (The Washington Post: Shutdown could close Head Start programs this week, jeopardizing child care – 10/28/25)“The National Head Start Association, a nonprofit, said 134 preschool programs, serving 58,000 children, have grants ending Oct. 31 and will not receive further federal money until Congress strikes a deal to reopen the government. Head Start overall costs roughly $12 billion a year.” (The Washington Post: Shutdown could close Head Start programs this week, jeopardizing child care – 10/28/25)“Founded as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty 60 years ago, Head Start now serves roughly 750,000 children nationally. Local sites typically provide free child care, early education, health screenings and other services for kids under six from low-income families.” (The Washington Post: Shutdown could close Head Start programs this week, jeopardizing child care – 10/28/25)“‘It’s really frustrating,’ said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. ‘Parents rely on us to have child care to be able to go to work, to be able to go to school.’” (The Washington Post: Shutdown could close Head Start programs this week, jeopardizing child care – 10/28/25)AS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS MISS THEIR PAYCHECKS, AMERICA’S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM BUCKLES“Tuesday marks Day 28 of the shutdown. It's also the first day that air traffic controllers and other federal workers will see a paycheck showing $0 — putting added strain on a sector that is already dealing with a declining workforce and difficult employment conditions.” (Fox News: Flight delays worsen as unpaid air traffic controllers feel government shutdown pain – 10/28/25)“U.S. air travel turmoil deepened as nearly 7,000 flights were delayed nationwide on Monday, with air traffic controller absences surging as the federal government shutdown reached its 27th day.” (Reuters: US flight delays near 7,000 as government shutdown hits Day 27 – 10/27/25)“More than 8,800 flights were delayed on Sunday.” (Reuters: US flight delays near 7,000 as government shutdown hits Day 27 – 10/27/25)“The Federal Aviation Administration cited staffing shortages and imposed ground delay programs affecting Newark Airport in New Jersey, Austin Airport in Texas and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Monday. Flights in the southeast were delayed earlier because of significant staffing shortages at the Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control.” (Reuters: US flight delays near 7,000 as government shutdown hits Day 27 – 10/27/25)“The mounting delays and cancellations are fueling public frustration and intensifying scrutiny of the shutdown's impact, raising pressure on lawmakers to resolve it.” (Reuters: US flight delays near 7,000 as government shutdown hits Day 27 – 10/27/25)“Hundreds of U.S. air traffic controllers have taken temporary second jobs as they miss their first full pay check on Tuesday, putting more pressure on the strained aviation safety system, a union official said Tuesday. National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels told reporters at Reagan Washington National Airport that the number would rise as more controllers look for ways to pay bills.” (Reuters: Hundreds of air traffic controllers take second jobs as shutdown continues – 10/28/25)DEMOCRATS ARE STILL FOCUSED ON GETTING PERCEIVED LEVERAGE, REMINDING AMERICANS WHY THEY BELIEVE DEMOCRATS ARE WILDLY OUT OF TOUCHDemocrats have made it clear that they view the pain their shutdown inflicts on everyday Americans as “leverage”:“Every day gets better for us.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)“Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.” – House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.)“It’s the only lever we have.” – Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)“Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage, and although a very unpleasant tool to use.” – Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.)“And you reopen the government, and we lose our leverage.” – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)“Sen. Mark Kelly argued now is not the time for Democrats to give up leverage.” (Politico: GOP dares Dems to buck bipartisan spending bill – 10/16/25)Americans have made it clear they think the Democrat Party is out of touch with their everyday concerns:“Democrats have badly weakened their party with left-leaning ideas and rhetoric, growing only with self-described ‘white liberals’ while losing ground with other voters, according to a new center-left group’s report shared first with Semafor.” (Semafor: Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats’ brand, new report warns- 10/27/25)“The group, called Welcome, consulted hundreds of thousands of voters over six months for its broad findings, including that 70% of voters think the Democratic Party is ‘out of touch.’” (Semafor: Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats’ brand, new report warns- 10/27/25)“Democrats’ newer coalition is wealthier, more educated… but in the meantime, it keeps losing ground with less affluent voters and with unions. Those unions’ rank and file, increasingly, see Democrats as cultural elitists who look down on them and want to replace their jobs.” (Semafor: Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats’ brand, new report warns- 10/27/25)“This is, in fact, the worst position Democrats have been on in a generic ballot at this time in a midterm when there was a Republican president in the last 20 years. And this is no different from pre-shutdown.” – CNN’s Harry EntenPrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram