Senate Democrats are calling for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into what they describe as partisan messaging posted on official federal websites during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Adam Schiff of California, and several other Democrats sent a Nov. 9 letter urging the nonpartisan watchdog to examine whether the Trump administration violated federal law by using government platforms to assign blame for the shutdown to Democrats.
“Some agencies’ announcements appeared to include nothing more than partisan messaging and lacked a connection to official business,” the lawmakers wrote.
They singled out a message published on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website during the shutdown that stated: “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.”
The senators argue that such statements may have crossed legal boundaries. Federal appropriations law prohibits agencies from using taxpayer funds for “publicity or propaganda purposes,” including purely partisan materials. The letter also cites restrictions against using appropriated funding to generate publicity intended to influence Congress on legislation or spending decisions.
Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, dismissed the request as political theater. In a statement to Fox News Digital, he said Democrats were trying to shift blame for the shutdown away from themselves.
“This is an absurd claim and just a publicity stunt by Democrats desperate to push attention away from their failures,” Spakovsky said. “Blaming Democrats for the shutdown was absolutely accurate since they voted more than a dozen times to keep the government shutdown. Truth is an absolute defense to any claim of partisan messaging.”
The White House echoed that position. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital on Monday, “It’s an objective fact that Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown, the Trump Administration simply shared the truth with the American people.”
GAO spokesperson Jessica Baxter confirmed on Friday that the agency has received the request and is reviewing whether to open a formal investigation. “GAO has a process it goes through to determine whether we do work and when, which we are working through right now,” Baxter said.
Other Democrats who signed the letter include Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Ron Wyden of Oregon, among others.
The shutdown ended after Trump signed legislation on Wednesday to restore funding as disruptions expanded—ranging from missed paychecks for federal workers to airline delays linked to air traffic controller staffing shortages.
The bill extends funding at fiscal year 2025 levels through Jan. 30, giving lawmakers time to negotiate a broader appropriations package for fiscal year 2026.
The shutdown was triggered by a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare-related provisions in a funding measure. Trump and congressional Republicans argued that Democrats sought to include healthcare for undocumented immigrants and pointed to a proposal to repeal part of Trump’s tax and domestic policy package—the “big, beautiful bill”—which had reduced Medicaid eligibility for non-U.S. citizens.
Democrats rejected that characterization. They said their focus was on permanently extending Affordable Care Act subsidies scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.
