House Values Action Team (VAT) Chairman Robert Aderholt and several VAT members have criticized Democratic leaders for what they describe as prolonging the ongoing government shutdown. Aderholt stated, “The Schumer Shutdown is harming the American family. VAT exists to protect American families, including the millions now straining to make ends meet during this reckless shutdown.”
Aderholt argued that Democratic leaders are using the shutdown for political leverage. He referenced comments by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Whip Katherine Clark: “Democratic leaders are holding American families hostage to prolong this shutdown, all in service of subsidizing a broken system and prioritizing healthcare for illegal immigrants. Take them at their word: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer openly said, ‘Every day gets better for us,’ and Minority Whip Katherine Clark admitted, ‘Of course there will be families that are going to suffer, but it is one of the few leverage items we have.’”
Aderholt continued, “While Democrat leadership believes every day gets better for them, the fact remains that every day gets worse for the American family. Millions of Americans are not getting paid and are struggling to feed their families, while elitist, out-of-touch Democrats are insisting on taxpayer-funded Medicaid for illegal immigrants and demanding an extension of COVID-era ACA subsidies.”
He described impacts such as food assistance funding running out and uncertainty about paychecks among military families and federal employees like TSA agents and air traffic controllers. “Democrats wrote the [un]Affordable Care Act, expanded subsidies during COVID, and manufactured this fake deadline. This is a problem of their own making. Now they’re demanding another $1.5 trillion and an extension of subsidies that force taxpayers to fund abortions by continuing to oppose Hyde protections for the ACA. American families shouldn’t have to pay the price for Democrats’ political games.”
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01) added: “American families are already struggling with the repercussions of Democrats’ political games – and it’s getting worse every day the shutdown continues. While Democrats say ‘every day gets better for us,’ hardworking Americans are missing paychecks and losing access to critical programs they rely on. And for what? So Democrats can use them as leverage for their $1.5 trillion wish-list of radical demands like giving taxpayer-funded health care to illegals while gutting $50 billion out of rural health care. It’s disgraceful. Americans can’t afford to continue paying the price for the Schumer Shutdown. It’s time for Democrats to stop holding families and workers hostage and do the right thing: pass our clean, short-term continuing resolution.”
Other House Republicans echoed these concerns:
– Congressman Blake Moore (UT-01): “Democrats have shut the government down over a policy goal completely unrelated to government funding, hurting thousands of Utah families whose livelihoods are dependent on paychecks tied to their federal service. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join us in voting to resume government funding so these families can pay their bills.”
– Congressman Josh Brecheen (OK-02): “For the first time ever, the Democrats shut down the government over a clean CR so that they could fund trans surgeries and provide healthcare for illegal aliens through Obamacare… I urge my Democrat colleagues to reopen the government.”
– Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19): “The Democrats’ wildly unserious demands for an additional $1.5 trillion—including health care for illegals… will result in veterans and vulnerable citizens suffering lack of services.”
– Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07): “Chuck Schumer is holding the entire country hostage to demand $1.5 trillion in new spending.”
– Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01): “Every day this Democrat-led shutdown continues, it’s hardworking families across the country who pay the price…”
– Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06): “The Schumer Shutdown is not about heath care… Federal government workers and military families are living in fear of missing their paychecks because of the Schumer Shutdown.”
– Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “…it is clear their political agenda comes before well-being… Just last week, they openly admitted to using American families as leverage during this shutdown…”
– Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36): “The Schumer Shutdown isn’t just hurting… it’s tearing at… our nation together: our families.”
Other Republican representatives expressed similar views regarding negative effects on federal workers’ incomes, food assistance programs running out of funds, increased national debt from extended subsidies under Affordable Care Act policies favored by Democrats, as well as broader disruptions impacting military personnel.
Robert Aderholt has served in Congress representing Alabama’s 4th district since 1997 after replacing Tom Bevill [source]. Before joining Congress he was part of Alabama’s House of Representatives [source]. Born in Haleyville in 1965 where he still resides today [source], Aderholt holds degrees from Birmingham–Southern College (BA) and Samford University (JD) [source].
