“Democrats have chosen leverage over lives, politics over paychecks, and fighting President Trump over feeding families.”

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor about how the Schumer Shutdown is threatening federal food assistance programs for 42 million Americans.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

Sen. Barrasso remarks as prepared:

“I saw some new polling this week on the Schumer Shutdown. It came from CNN, of all places – not exactly a Republican-friendly outlet. Let me share with you what it shows. Since the Schumer Shutdown began, approval for Republicans in Congress has gone up by 5 points. By contrast, Democrats are now in their weakest and lowest position in 20 years. The American people are clearly paying attention. They’re sick and tired of Democrats’ dangerous political game. They resent being used by Democrats as leverage. They resent being treated like pawns on a chess board. Millions resent having their paychecks held back, now for a full month.

“Americans know who is to blame for the Schumer Shutdown. They heard the Democrats loud and clear. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, just this Tuesday called the shutdown ‘the only lever we have.’

“Senator Chris Coons of Delaware said almost the exact the same thing last week to a national television audience. He said, ‘Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage.’ He even admitted shutdowns are an ‘unpleasant tool.’ Then, he voted for the thirteenth time yesterday to use that tool and keep the government closed.

“Food pantries in Rhode Island are getting ‘slammed.’ Democrats call that leverage. Families in Delaware are making ‘backup plans’ just to get groceries. Democrats call that leverage. That’s not leverage. That is picking pain for political purposes. It is using hunger as a bargaining chip. And Democrats refer to it as unpleasantness.

“We are 30 days into the Schumer Shutdown, the longest full shutdown in American history. For 30 days, Democrats have chosen leverage over lives, politics over paychecks, and fighting President Trump over feeding families.

“This weekend, 42 million Americans will lose food assistance. Let me say that again. 42 million. That’s one in eight Americans. Twice as many Americans as are on the failed Obamacare exchanges – which Democrats are still trying to prop up even though it failed at its promise to control costs. Democrats are putting free healthcare to illegal immigrants ahead of American families, American seniors, American veterans, American soldiers, and American workers. These are real people. They’re in real pain. They count on food assistance to put food on the table. Now, these families are living in limbo. Their balance is about to hit zero.

“What happens to them next week if Democrats keep the government shut down? What about the week after that? Families will go hungry because Democrats keep playing their dangerous political games.

“Even some Democrats are calling on the Democrat Party to change course. Listen to the words of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. Senator Cortez Masto was interviewed yesterday by CNN. She said, and I quote, ‘I don’t think federal workers should be political pawns. I don’t think we should swap the pain of some Americans for others. I think we should be lifting all of them up and helping them.’ Senator Cortez Masto is one of the few reasonable Democrats who has been voting for a clean, continuing resolution to reopen the government.

“Here’s the simple truth. Senate Republicans have voted 13 times on the clean, bipartisan continuing resolution to reopen the government. That is 13 votes for funding SNAP, for paying our troops, for paying federal workers, for paying TSA agents, for paying air traffic controllers, for paying Border Patrol agents, and for paying Capitol Police. Every single time, Senator Schumer and radical Democrats have voted no. That’s 13 votes against funding SNAP, against paying our troops, against paying federal workers, against paying TSA agents, against paying air traffic controllers, against paying Border Patrol agents, and against paying Capitol Police.

“Democrats claim President Trump can fund food assistance on his own. Democrats know what they’re asking is against the law. Democrats are not in the words of Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, ‘powerless’ to fund food programs. Democrats had the power 13 times to end the shutdown. They voted no 13 times. They’re not powerless. They’re unwilling to help American families.

“The Senate can fund all these programs today. The clean, bipartisan continuing resolution is sitting on the floor and at the desk right now. It funds SNAP. It pays our federal workers and our troops. It pays our TSA agents and air traffic controllers. It pays our Border Patrol agents and Capitol Police officers. It reopens the government. We need five more Democrats to say yes.

“Democrats had no problem voting for clean, bipartisan continuing resolutions when Joe Biden was president. They did it 13 times. Now, they’re more interested in leverage than children going hungry. It’s no wonder Republicans’ approval rating has gone up and Democrats’ polling has gone down during the Schumer Shutdown. Enough with the politics of pain. It’s time to reopen the government. It’s time to feed these vulnerable families.”

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