“Barrasso: They are choosing politics over the paychecks of the American working men and women who protect our nation. And this weakness defines today’s Democrat Party. They’re radical, extreme, dangerous, scary, and they are out of touch.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor slamming Senator Schumer for saying that every day is “getting better for us” while servicemembers, Border Patrol Agents, and other federal workers are missing paychecks.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as delivered:
“I read in Punchbowl News this morning the Minority Leader making a statement to Punchbowl. He thinks Democrats have momentum. His statement is, ‘Every day gets better for us.’ That’s what he said in an interview from his office yesterday when he was interviewed. He said, ‘Every day gets better for us.’ Who is ‘us’? Not better for the American people. Who does he mean by ‘us’? Not the military who is not getting paid. Not the Border Patrol who are not getting paid. Not the air traffic controllers who are not getting paid. Who is ‘us’? He’s playing a game! The Washington Post talked about it just yesterday in their headline in their editorial page. ‘Democrat leaders play dangerous game.’ That’s what we have here. And what does the Minority Leader say? ‘Every day gets better for us.’ Who in the world is ‘us’?
“Is it this group that has organized the shutdown? They’ve talked about having an orchestrated group of the far-left wing, the terrorist wing of the Democrat Party, organizing and orchestrating the shutdown, planning for weeks in the Minority Leader’s office, closely coordinated, and it’s hurting the American people. But the Minority Leader has said it’s getting better for them.
“Look, how can they brag about the damage that they’re doing to the American people? Whether it’s the Women, Infants, and Children program needing food, whether it is small businesses applying for loans through the Small Business Administration, our troops, our border patrol – but, boy, from what I see from the Minority Leader and where he’s trying to lead this country, it’s a perfect quote for this shutdown – gets better for them every day. It’s rubbish. And it is hurting our country.
“Thirteen times we have voted to open the government, keep it open with a continuing resolution in Joe Biden’s term and now they’re not going to do it because Donald Trump is in the White House. That’s what we have in this country today. A political game being played by the Democrats because they think that every day gets better for them.
“This isn’t right versus left. This is right versus wrong. That’s what we’re facing in this country today. There are 1.3 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard on active duty to protect our nation, protect our freedoms. They’ll miss their paychecks, but Chuck Schumer says it’s getting better for them. To the brave men and women in uniform, one date looms large. It’s October 15. Normally October 15 is payday. This year under the Schumer Shutdown – with it getting better for Schumer every day – paychecks don’t arrive for them. Nine days ago, October 1, service members got their last paycheck. And it’s going to be their last paycheck until the game – the dangerous game, the political game that Schumer and the others are playing – ends and the government reopens. We could do it today with a vote. We’re going to have an opportunity to do it. And it’s wrong – it’s just wrong to do this as a game because it’s getting better for them every day – or so they think.
“This Friday, October 10, Border Patrol Agents and other federal workers will receive only half a paycheck. The Democrat Leader says it’s getting better for them. 72% of military families say their most pressing concern is missing a paycheck. Half a million military families relocate to new duty stations each year. For them, costs can be crushing. Moves cost families $8,000 out of pocket. Normally this is reimbursed. It may not be for a while. Chuck Schumer says it’s getting better for them every day. Under the Schumer Shutdown, military families are going to be forced to stretch out their budgets, dip into savings, take out loans. This adds to financial stress and strain.
“At Fort Hood, Texas, the local food bank is seeing a 34% spike in demand just since the shutdown began. Military families are lining up for food, diapers, and baby formula. One employee said, ‘This has never happened ever.’ Maybe they’re just stocking up because they know the Democrats think it’s ‘getting better every day.’ That’s what they’re aiming for. What the heck are they thinking?
“Well, all those people that planned and organized all this are thinking, ‘Hey, we’ve got a big rally coming up on the 18th. A big No Kings rally. Getting better for them every day. Let’s just hurt the military more, the Border Patrol more, the Women, Infants, and Children program more. Hurt them because it’s getting better for us every day.’ Who is ‘us’? It’s the left wing of the Democrat Party. It’s not the American people. That’s what we’re focused on here.
“I want to focus on opening the government up for the American people. We have offered a clean continuing resolution at current funding levels, at Biden funding levels. Current levels. Reopens the government. It pays our service members.
“Republicans want to reopen the government. We have voted to not shut down the government. We want to make sure our troops don’t miss their paycheck on October 15. Not the Democrats because they think it’s getting better for them. The date on their calendar is not the 15th, which is the date on the calendar of every military member. Their date is October 18. That’s the date when the most radical left-wing activists are going to descend upon Washington to protest Trump. The Democrat leader is hoping they will actually receive cheers from that group. Because it’s getting better for them every day. That’s what they say.
“This shutdown is all about politics. That’s what it’s all about. It’s been planned and orchestrated and organized for months. The Washington Post Editorial Board said it best: ‘The Democrats are playing a dangerous game.’ They are choosing politics over the paychecks of the American working men and women who protect our nation. And this weakness defines today’s Democrat Party. They’re radical, extreme, dangerous, scary, and they are out of touch. But they think it’s getting better for those people every day.
“They’re holding our military hostage. Why? Because they want to impress the left-wing activists. It’s indefensible. Service members now have to worry about putting food on the table so that the Democrats and Senator Schumer can try to satisfy the far-left liberal wing of the party, who will never be satisfied until this country is destroyed. That’s what they want.
“It’s no surprise that 55% of Americans say Democrats are shutting down the government just to please their radical base. The Senate can reopen the government today, but we need a handful of Democrats to join us. Democrats voted 13 times for a clean continuing resolution under Joe Biden. They know that the Schumer Shutdown is reckless, it’s radical, and it is wrong. Democrats don’t seem to care because according to Chuck Schumer, ‘Every day gets better for us.’ And as a result, the Democrats are threatening America’s safety, our security, and our prosperity.
“The American people don’t want the government closed. Chuck Schumer does because every day gets better for him. Two in three Americans demand that Democrats accept the continuing resolution at current funding levels. It’s the right thing to do. It’s fair. It’s reasonable. It’s time Democrats listened to them. Time to open the government so the troops can get paid.
“That’s what this is all about. A political game being played by the radical left, and they believe it’s getting better for them each day. And Chuck Schumer – this wasn’t some offhanded comment – this is exactly what he said yesterday in a sit-down interview with the press in his office. These were planned words and orchestrated to appeal to the people that he’s trying to appeal to who are not the average American who just wants to go to work, who just wants to get paid a fair wage for a fair, full day’s work, and defend the country.
“So, I know who the ‘us’ is when he says ‘us.’ And it’s not the American people. It’s not the hardworking people of my state who want to get up, go to work, get the kids to school, put food on the table, and live in the greatest country of all time. That’s what we’re dealing with. That’s why I came to the Floor this morning. When I heard this comment by the Minority Leader, I could not let it stand, and the American people deserve better.”
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