“The American people should not be forced to pay the cost of Democrats’ political games. Shutdowns are political acts. Political acts are choices. Congress has the tools to avoid this chaos. It requires cooperation from the Democrats.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor about threats from Senate Democrats’ to shut down the government. 

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:

“Once again, Senate Democrats are threatening to shut down the federal government. A government shutdown is bad for everyone. The cost of a Democrat shutdown is staggering. Reopening the government again costs even more. And who pays the price of a Schumer Shutdown? It’s not the people in this room. It’s hardworking Americans.

“Seniors who rely on Social Security will be impacted. People living on a fixed income budget down to the dollar. They need to pay for rent, groceries, and prescriptions. Then, Democrats decide they can wait. A Democrat shutdown means customer service and applications at the Social Security Administration are delayed.

“Many military families live paycheck to paycheck. They will face uncertainty.

The men and women who protect our families will be left to wonder how to provide for theirs. Border Patrol agents put their lives on the line every day. They would be forced to do so without a paycheck. Democrats already tried to defund the Border Patrol. Now, they want Border Patrol agents to go home without a paycheck until the government reopens.

“National Parks risk being closed as well. In my home state of Wyoming, we have Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. These are more than parks. They are part of our state’s and our nation’s rich history and heritage. Families from across America and around the world visit Wyoming, our national parks, and other national parks every year. Under a Schumer Shutdown, those plans will be forced to be cancelled. Local businesses like hotels and restaurants lose revenue. Park staff are reduced to skeleton crews. Trash piles up. That’s not stewardship. That’s neglect.

“This is what Democrats are risking. This is what Democrats threaten with their reckless talk of a shutdown. The American people should not be forced to pay the cost of Democrats’ political games. Shutdowns are political acts. Political acts are choices. Congress has the tools to avoid this chaos. It requires cooperation from the Democrats.

“The appropriations process exists for a reason. It is how Congress fulfills our most basic legislative duty. That duty is controlling the power of the purse. That is what Republicans are doing. For the first time in four years, the Senate passed bipartisan appropriations bills before the August recess. More are on the way. Appropriations Committee Chairman Susan Collins is working hard to get each and every bill passed. That is something the current Minority Leader refused to do when the Democrats were in the majority.

“Last year, 11 out of 12 funding bills passed the Senate Appropriations Committee. They were passed through regular order. They had strong, bipartisan support. Many were unanimous. Senator Schumer refused to bring a single one of them to the Floor of the United States Senate for a vote. He let those 11 bipartisan appropriations bills die in the drawer of his desk. Senator Schumer shut down the appropriations process. And now, he and Senate Democrats are threatening to shut down the government.

“Senator Schumer himself recently suggested a shutdown is preferable to accepting bipartisan solutions. Senator Cory Booker, another member of Senate Democrat leadership, went even further. When asked about a short, stopgap measure to keep the government open, he said, ‘I’m going to block it.’ And it’s not just elected Democrats calling for a shutdown. Liberal columnist Ezra Klein recently wrote in the New York Times and was on television urging Democrats to shut down the government. He did it despite the costs and consequences to American families. But that is where the radical left is. He said, Democrats ‘joining Republicans to fund this government is worse than failing at opposition.’ That’s what they think their job is – to obstruct and disrupt. 

“Democrats are ignoring the needs of keeping the essential functions of our nation open. Securing the border. Social Security. Supporting our military. What’s so wrong with doing the job voters elected us to do? To my Democrat colleagues, I say, stop the political theater. Republicans’ message is simple: Let’s fund the government. Protect Social Security. Keep service members and border agents paid. Keep the government open to serve the American people.

“Senate Republicans are ready to keep the government open. Senate Democrats are preparing to shut it down. The choice is theirs. The consequences will be felt by the American people.”

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