It's Time to Turn the Lights Back On

October 18, 2025

An Update on the Government Shutdown

The government has been shut down for over two weeks after a lapse in government appropriations. On September 19, I voted in favor of a clean government funding bill, which passed the House, but Democrats in the Senate have voted against this bill 10 times.

During a government shutdown, our brave servicemembers continue to work without
receiving pay. Fortunately, President Trump has announced that members of the
military and their families will not be used as pawns and servicemembers will be paid by utilizing previously appropriated funds.

As many states were already out of resources for the WIC program, President Trump has also transferred resources from Section 232 tariff revenue to fund the program.

Please know that my office is still open during this shutdown to address your concerns and to continue processing casework. Please keep in mind that due to staffing shortages, there may be slower response times from some departments and agencies. This could result in delays in obtaining the information and resolutions you need.

For more information on the shutdown, please visit my website here.

The Shutdown's Impact on Michiganders

Just last week, Senator Schumer said, "every day gets better for us," when discussing the shutdown. Meanwhile, every day is getting worse for hardworking Michiganders. According to the Council of Economic Advisors, Michigan loses around $361 million in economic activity for each week the shutdown extends. They also found that there may be an increase in unemployment of about 1,300 workers. In Michigan, there are also around 56,000 federal workers who have either been furloughed or are working without pay. Senate Democrats must reopen the government to prevent further disruption.

Checking in on Small Businesses

I recently visited Contour Tool & Machine in Jackson to discuss how the government shutdown is negatively impacting small businesses in Michigan and across the country. Due to the shutdown, the Small Business Administration has reduced services and has paused the processing of new loans to small businesses. As a result, small businesses in Michigan could face delays of around $92 million under a monthlong shutdown of the federal government.

Promoting School Choice

This week, I partnered with Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) and Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) to send letters urging our nation's governors to opt in to a new federal scholarship tax credit initiative. This is the first federal school choice program enacted into law as part of the historic Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. This program gives families more options and allows students to either pursue new opportunities or enrich their current education. While the tax credit officially launches on January 1, 2027, it is important for state governors to opt in early to ensure certainty for students and scholarship-granting organizations.