Voices from Across America: The Human Cost of the Democrat Shutdown

Nov 6, 2025 by AFP

ARLINGTON, VA— As Washington’s Democrat partisan gridlock drags on, Americans are bearing the brunt of the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history. Across the country, families are sharing how this failure of leadership is disrupting their lives—and Americans for Prosperity is amplifying their voices.

 

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Kent Strang, Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity, issued the following statement:

“The longest shutdown in American history — all for political leverage. While Americans suffer, Democrats are busy bragging about their political games. It’s time to stop the obstruction and end this shutdown now. Washington should serve the people—not use them as bargaining chips to advance their partisan spending spree.”

Democrats have openly admitted that they’re leveraging the shutdown for political gain:

  1. Rep. Katherine Clark, Second in Democrat House Leadership:
    “Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… it’s one of the few leverage times we have.”
  2. Sen. Chris Coons:
    “Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage.”
  3. Sen. Bernie Sanders:
    “And you re-open the government… we lose our leverage.”
  4. Rep. Emilia Sykes:
    “We know that people are going to suffer if we don’t open the government. I’m just going to make it as plain as possible, people will go hungry.”

This isn’t leadership—it’s political theater at the expense of hardworking Americans.

Despite voting 13 times for a clean Continuing Resolution (CR) under President Biden, Senate Democrats have now blocked 14 consecutive clean resolutions passed by the House and supported by Senate Republicans to end the shutdown.

It’s time to put people over politics. End the shutdown. Reopen the government.

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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