DEMOCRATS WANTED THIS SHUTDOWN FROM THE START

• Democrats held the American people hostage for 43 days and received nothing for their childish actions.
• Instead of supporting a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government open – which they did 13 times during the Biden administration – Democrats demanded a $1.5 trillion spending spree that would have only funded the government for one month.
• From day one, Democrats openly embraced this needless shutdown.

• Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer : “Every day gets better for us.
• House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark : "Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
• Bernie Sanders: “[If] you reopen the government and we lose our leverage…”
• Chris Coons: “Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage.

• Even as workers across the country told Democrats to reopen the government, they didn’t listen.

• Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees: "It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.”
• Nick Daniels, head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union: “Congress must pass a clean [CR] to immediately end the government shutdown.”
• Multiple pilots unions called on Congress to pass the Republican-backed continuing resolution.
• Airlines for America, who represent major U.S. airlines, urged Congress to pass the clean CR.
• Teamsters Union President Sean O'Brien pleaded with Democrats to pass the clean CR.
• Hundreds of travel businesses told Democrats to pass the clean CR as the shutdown negatively impacted the travel industry.
• The International Association of Fire Fighters called on Congress to open the government as federal fire fighters were working without pay.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN

• The Democrat shutdown cost the economy $7 billion in its first month according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
• One month into the shutdown, America’s travel industry had already lost more than $4 billion.
• Millions of Americans who rely on government assistance were hurt by Democrats.

• 42 Million SNAP beneficiaries were only able to receive up to 65% of their benefits.
• Over 100 Head Start programs, which provide early education and child development resources to low-income households, lost funding.

• The Federal Reserve cannot make informed decisions since monetary government agencies are no collecting economic data.
• Medicare and Social Security had extended wait times due to reduced staff.
• $15 billion in weekly federal contracts – funding that businesses across the country rely on – was cut off.

• The Small Business Administration estimated that thousands of small businesses have been blocked from receiving billions of dollars in loans.
• Unlike federal employes, contractors are not eligible for backpay, resulting in wage losses for millions of Americans.

TRAVELERS, TRANSPORTATION WORKERS, AND THE AIRLINES WERE SEVERELY HIT BY THE SHUTDOWN

• If you experienced a delayed or canceled flight, you can thank a Democrat.
• 13,000 air traffic controllers worked without pay, which created flight disruptions and travel delays to due ‘ sickouts’ and mass absences.

• Some air traffic controllers reportedly took second jobs as Uber drivers and restaurant servers just to put food on the table while they aren’t receiving pay.

• The Federal Aviation Administration was eventually forced to reduce flight capacity by 10% at major airports, resulting in thousands of canceled or delayed flights per day.
• Halloween weekend was brutal for the airline industry.

• New York City airports saw nearly 80% of their air traffic controllers absent at some point.
• Airports across the country from Newark to Houston experienced multi-hour ground delays.

• The problem only grew worse as this past Sunday , airlines were forced to cancel more than 2,700 flights.
• By Tuesday, major airlines canceled 6% of their flights and on Wednesday, nearly 1,000 flights had already been canceled.
• Many Americans have been forced to spend heavily on rental cars to reach their destination.

THE SHUTDOWN’S EFFECTS WENT FAR BEYOND JUST AMERICANS’ POCKETBOOKS

• Democrats put national security at risk since the agency responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile was forced to furlough a majority of its employees.
• Upkeep at national cemeteries were reduced and delayed.
• Veterans Day parades, ceremonies, and various events were canceled.
• The National Zoo and the Smithsonian museums were forced to close in our nation’s capital.
• Unpaid federal fire fighters – who already are working 72 hours a week – had to find other jobs to supplement their income.

DEMOCRATS WANTED THIS SHUTDOWN TO INFLICT AS MUCH PAIN AS POSSIBLE

• Democrats held the country hostage for 43 days and got NOTHING in return.
• It’s now been reported that the shutdown could have been much shorter.

• As he was grandstanding and bemoaning in public for the shutdown to end, in private, Chuck Schumer persuaded some in his caucus to prolong the shutdown as long as they could.  
• Schumer is now the most unpopular Senate Democrat leader on record.
• The Democrat Party that now openly embraces socialism believes Schumer isn’t far-left enough, so calls for a primary challenge are only growing louder.

• The vast majority of Democrats fought to keep the government closed to the very end, proving they’d rather appease their far-left base than protect the people they represent.

• 99% of House Democrats voted no against the clean CR Wednesday night.
• None of the Senate Democrats who voted for the CR to open the government are up for reelection in 2026.

• Despite the horrible costs of their shutdown, Democrats think the pain and suffering was a good thing.

• Democrat Senators John Hickenlooper and Jack Reed said the shutdown was “worth it.”

Hakeem Jeffries called the shutdown a “valiant fight.”

Originally published here.