Schumer’s Shutdown Strategy Sparks Outrage as Americans Bear the Brunt

Oct 10, 2025 by AFP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the federal government shutdown continues, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is facing intense backlash for comments that many view as dismissive of the harm these shutdowns inevitably cause.

In a recent interview, Schumer said of the shutdown: “Every day gets better for us.”
Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Americans for Prosperity, responded sharply to Schumer’s comments:

“Senator Schumer’s claim that ‘every day gets better for us’ confirms what we already knew – driving towards a shutdown was their strategy from the beginning, and it was driven entirely by partisan politics.

“While military families miss paychecks and small businesses face layoffs, Sen. Schumer is celebrating a crisis he helped create. This isn’t leadership—it’s political theater at the expense of the American people. We need lawmakers who prioritize solutions.

“The government must reopen immediately. The American people deserve better—a government that works and lawmakers who serve, not strategize.”

These remarks stand in stark contrast to Schumer’s previous statements:

Chuck Schumer on 1/18/24: “Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for the country, for our veterans, for parents and children, and for farmers and small businesses – all of whom would have felt the sting had the government shut down.”
Chuck Schumer on 9/23/24: “[A] shutdown would mean chaos and pain and needless heartache for the American people.

Other Democratic leaders have also previously condemned shutdowns:

Hakeem Jeffries on 12/19/24: “It’s about the harm… Families will be hurt. Farmers will be hurt… If the government shuts down, holiday travel will be impacted. The ability of everyday Americans to visit their family, their friends, their loved ones will be impacted. Border security and border patrol agents will not be paid. TSA agents will not be paid. Small businesses will be hurt in every single community in this country.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on 1/17/19: “It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want.”

Ignoring repeated warnings, Schumer and Senate Democrats continue to block attempts to reopen the government, insisting on a $1.5 trillion partisan wish list. They know these proposals have little chance of passing—but that doesn’t seem to matter. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more they believe it serves their political interests.

Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites activists in all 50 states behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org

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