Well, here we go again. Washington is deep into week five of a government shutdown, and the political theater has officially moved from annoying to downright absurd. Air traffic controllers are about to miss their first full paycheck, military payday is lurking like a grim Halloween prank, and the best Senate Democrats can offer is… more demands to prop up Obamacare? You’d think with paychecks on the line and food banks handing out meals to federal workers, somebody over there would’ve remembered this isn’t the time to play Medicare Monopoly.
Let’s get something straight: Republicans have offered a clean continuing resolution (CR) to get the government back open and pay federal employees now. Not after some backroom deal on healthcare subsidies. Not once someone wrangles more dollars for bloated programs. But no, Chuck Schumer and his band of obstructionists are digging in their heels until they can secure yet another Band-Aid for a failing healthcare program that’s been coughing up premiums and deductibles since its first day in the wild.
Senator John Thune called it like it is — it’s politics. Democrats want to posture like healthcare champions while holding federal workers hostage until they get their trophy. And while they’re playing “Save Obamacare: Shutdown Edition,” guess who’s about to miss pay? Air traffic controllers — the folks keeping our skies safe — and, more seriously, military families. The people who defend this country for a living are left hanging because Schumer thinks subsidy haggling takes precedence over stability. Nice priorities.
To their credit, Republicans like Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Ted Cruz are trying to patch the holes. Johnson introduced a bill to pay troops and federal workers currently on the job — you know, the ones actually keeping things running — but Democrats blocked it. Why? Because it might give President Trump the ability to decide who’s essential. That’s their big objection. Not that people won’t get paid, but that Trump might have too much say in who gets a check. Can’t have that. Better for everyone to suffer than let Trump appear like he’s… I don’t know, doing something functional?
Even Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, got smacked down by his own party while trying to propose his version of a bill to pay workers. So now we’re at the “eat our own” stage of shutdown politics. And just to add a little extra drama, funding for SNAP — yes, food stamps — is set to expire right on November 1, the exact same day Obamacare enrollment opens. You can’t make this stuff up.
Most Americans would find it incredibly difficult to work for 5 weeks without a paycheck.
This shutdown is a choice.
Let’s end this and pay our workers—a vote that shows principle over political party. pic.twitter.com/IlX5KVHtz2
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) October 27, 2025
But here’s the kicker: even the unions are starting to roll their eyes at the Democrats. The American Federation of Government Employees, a group that usually sends its PAC money straight to Democratic campaigns like it’s a monthly subscription, is now publicly telling Democrats to stop the nonsense and accept the clean CR. Their president, Everett Kelley, practically begged for common sense, saying federal employees “aren’t looking for partisan spin” — they want their wages. Amen.
Here are the SIMPLE FACTS about the Democrat Shutdown:
1️⃣ Democrat votes are REQUIRED to reopen the government.
2️⃣ Democrats have voted 13 TIMES to keep it closed.
3️⃣ Democrats refuse to fund the government unless we restore- $200 BILLION in health benefits for illegal aliens,… pic.twitter.com/9h8xYBVNmu
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 27, 2025
So what’s stopping the Senate from reopening the government? A group of Democrats who would rather hold the economy, the military, and working families hostage than pass a clean bill. A group so committed to scoring political points on healthcare, they’ll gamble with paychecks and national security to get it.
🚨 BREAKING: In an incredible moment, newly-elected Sen. Dave McCormick (R) and Sen. John Fetterman (D) stood together in DC and SLAMMED the Schumer Shutdown
FETTERMAN: “Even though we are in a different party. We both want to talk about why we believe it’s so important to… pic.twitter.com/VP2KqrjLRP
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 23, 2025
The truth is simple: Republicans offered a clean path forward. Democrats chose brinkmanship. And now, while our air traffic controllers, troops, and everyday federal workers watch the calendar tick toward empty bank accounts, we’re all watching the same old playbook unfold — shut it down, blame the GOP, and squeeze until someone blinks.
Only this time, even their own supporters aren’t buying the act.
