Democratic Leader: Families Will Suffer

The Detroit News Headline
October 25, 2025
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Over a month ago, House Republicans acted responsibly and passed a clean, short-term, and nonpartisan funding bill. However, Senate Democrats have now voted a dozen times against this commonsense deal, which would turn the lights back on and provide certainty for our nation’s servicemembers, air traffic controllers, and more. This is the first time that a political party has shut down the government over a clean funding bill. 

I joined other members of the Michigan Republican Delegation in penning an op-ed to urge an end to the political games, so we can get back to serving the American people. 

Just this week, the number 2 House Democrat, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, said, "Of course there will be families that are going to suffer... but it is one of the few leverage times we have." Michigan families should not be used as leverage in the Democrats' political games. 

It was also reported in The Hill that one Democrat Senator warned that lawmakers who vote for the funding bill, which passed the House over a month ago and would reopen the government, could get “hammered.”

Another person said, “We would have enough votes if people were not terrified of getting the guillotine.”

It is past time for Senate Democrats to stop the political games and reopen the government. 

I understand that this shutdown has been challenging, especially for our veterans in Michigan's 5th District. I had the opportunity to host a roundtable with veterans in Niles to hear their concerns about how prolonging the government shutdown will have detrimental effects on the veteran community, especially those returning to civilian life. While veteran healthcare and benefits are continuing, transition program assistance and career counseling have been suspended, and community organizations and providers that provide mental health support and lifesaving services for homeless veterans are not receiving funding. 

Please know that my team is still processing constituent casework, including with the VA, during this shutdown. However, there may be slower response times from some departments and agencies due to staffing shortages, which may lead to delays in getting you the information and resolution you need. 

When the shutdown began, I heard from countless farmers who were concerned about disruptions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during harvest season. On Thursday, the USDA resumed core operations within the Farm Service Agency, including critical services for farm loan processing and ARC/PLC payments and programs. Employees at county offices will resume performing functions for CCC-funded programs while accepting information related to programs funded by alternative sources. By resuming these vital operations, we can help farmers plan for the next planting season while harvest is underway. For more information, please click here.