Frustration is mounting in Washington as the government shutdown stretches into its second month. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, accusing him of obstructing bipartisan efforts to reopen the government.
“This is starting to become very real. They are playing with people’s actual lives,” Emmer said Thursday on Fox & Friends.
Thousands of federal employees are missing paychecks, and critical benefits for millions of Americans are set to lapse this Saturday. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune delivered an impassioned address on Capitol Hill, condemning Democrats for ignoring the human cost of the shutdown.
“SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. You voted no 13 times!” Thune said.
“This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about. And you all just figured out 29 days in that, oh, there might be some consequences.”
Lawmakers remain locked in a stalemate over spending levels and healthcare policy. Beginning Saturday, millions of Americans could lose access to SNAP benefits, including food stamps.
“They need 60 votes to get something to the floor. And Chuck Schumer has refused to provide the votes necessary to get this to the floor. As a result, the government has been shut down for 30 days,” Emmer said.
Democrats continue to demand an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire in 2025. Schumer has stated they will not back any bill that omits those provisions. Republicans, meanwhile, argue that healthcare negotiations should resume only once the government reopens.
“It’s a partisan bill and does nothing—most importantly, does nothing to solve the Obamacare crisis,” Schumer said before the latest vote Wednesday. “Just now, here on the floor, the Republican leaders seemed perplexed about what precisely it is that Democrats are pushing for. He knows damn well what Democrats want. It’s the same thing a vast majority of Americans want, including nearly 60% of MAGA voters: we want lower healthcare costs now.”
Emmer accused Democrats of prioritizing politics over public service. “You should not be putting your partisan political strategy ahead of the American people that you were hired to serve,” he said.
