Former college football coach and broadcaster Lou Holtz released a lengthy video on Tuesday addressing the ongoing government shutdown, expressing frustration over what he views as an increasingly unhealthy reliance on government support.
In the video posted to X, the College Football Hall of Famer called the situation “unfair” and argued that government dependency has created a distorted political environment.
In the caption accompanying the video, Holtz aimed his criticism at Democrats, writing, “Democrats know that as long as you depend on them, you’ll vote for them — and that’s exactly how they like it.”
Senate Democrats have continued to refuse support for Republican-led proposals to reopen the government unless those proposals include renewed federal healthcare subsidies.
“It’s ridiculous to have so many people count on the government, and have one party say, ‘No, we aren’t going to open it up.’ That’s unfair,” Holtz said.
He continued, “What I see the government doing — it’s unfair. It’s unbelievable. That’s not the way it was set up to be. And yet, we’re trying to play games. Just open up the government, let it function as we go along. But, no, you want to make more people rely on you. That’s why you want to give them government subsidies. As long as they rely on you, they’ll vote for you, and that’s not the way it should be.”
Holtz reflected on his childhood experiences following World War II and his early years during the Great Depression.
“I was probably 10 years old then, and at that time, there was no help from the government at all. You were counted on to take care of yourself. No government … I believe up until 1947, that really never happened. It was up to you to take care of yourself. And you found a way to do it,” he recalled.
He added, “I was born during the Depression. My father had a third-grade education. Things didn’t always go very easy. But my father worked a lot of different odd jobs in order to put food on the table for the family. We never had an awful lot, but what you did then, you bought what you could afford, not what you wanted, but what you could afford — and that was so critical.”
Holtz said he fears the country’s future, arguing that modern politics encourages people to seek benefits rather than opportunities.
“I worry about the future of this country. Why is that? Because we’ve gotten to the point where everything is about government and, ‘What can you do for me?’ And I’m going to vote for the person who promised me more free things than anything else. There’s no free lunch,” he said.
“They put together a group that tries to tear down the secret to success.”
Holtz, who coached for 33 years across six college programs — most notably Notre Dame, where he compiled a 100–30 record — has long been outspoken about his conservative views and support for former President Donald Trump.
The current shutdown is on the brink of becoming the longest in U.S. history.
The previous record was set during the 2018–2019 shutdown under President Trump, which ended on the 35th day after he signed legislation to reopen the government.
Tuesday marks day 35 of the current fiscal standoff. With no agreement reached between Democrats and Republicans, the dispute appears certain to move into day 36.
Republicans have advocated for a short-term extension of fiscal year 2025 funding levels — known as a continuing resolution (CR) — to allow lawmakers time until Nov. 21 to negotiate fiscal year 2026 spending.
The proposal avoids most policy add-ons, with the exception of $88 million targeted toward enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the Supreme Court.
Democrats have said they will not support any funding bill without also extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies that expire at the end of 2025. Republicans have argued that the pandemic-era subsidy boost is no longer necessary.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have said they are willing to discuss modified versions of the subsidy program but reject tying it directly to government funding.
The House passed the CR on Sept. 19, and Johnson has kept the House out of session in an attempt to pressure Senate Democrats into supporting the proposal. Senate Democrats have rejected the measure 13 times.
Meanwhile, funds for critical programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), and national flood insurance are becoming dangerously limited, potentially affecting millions of Americans.
