UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / From the desk of Tom Cole
Thanks to the Democrats, we have now officially experienced the longest full government shutdown in United States history. However, this is not just some meaningless new record set by Congress. It is a direct blow to the American people.
When Washington is grinded to a halt, it is not the politicians or the lobbyists who pay the price. It is the single mom, the small business contractor, the service member, the postal worker, the veteran, and everyday American families who actually feel the consequences.
In fact, the Democrats have said it themselves. As one Democratic leader said, “… families are going to suffer … but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
That is not compassion. That is not caring about the American people. That is not governing and that is most certainly not a principled and noble protest.
However, it is a confession by the Democratic party. It is an admission that the Democrats are okay with using the American people as collateral damage.
It is the disclosure of their clear lack of concern for everyday hardworking American families whom they were elected to serve.
These words lay bare a simple truth: the Democrats are okay with the suffering this government shutdown is inflicting on the American people. Put more specifically, they are okay with furloughing dedicated federal employees throughout the country. They are okay with the VA halting career counseling and other services for those who served us so nobly.
They are okay with the single mother who relies on SNAP or WIC having her benefits frozen. They are okay with our military families having their paychecks thrown into uncertainty. They are okay with the dangerous potential consequences of leaving air traffic controllers grappling with understaffed offices. They are okay with all of the very real damage this government shutdown has caused and will continue to cause.
The contrast with Republicans could not be starker. House Republicans passed my clean bill to keep the government open. Senate Republicans, as well as just a few brave Democrats, continue to act responsibly by voting to reopen the government and reinstate vital services day after day.
On the other hand, Democratic leaders and the majority of their members are prolonging this shutdown as they continue to vote against the best interest of the American people and put politics over principle.
It is truly a shame. It is not anything to be proud of, as using the livelihoods of innocent Americans as leverage was just simply wrong.
