WASHINGTON, D.C.- With the federal government shut down as of October 1st, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is calling out the partisan brinkmanship that led to this entirely avoidable situation. Despite House Republicans putting forth a clean funding resolution that would have kept the government open, Democratic leadership rejected the plan and instead proposed massive partisan priorities that would never pass under normal circumstances.
“The Democrat leadership owes the American people an explanation,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Americans for Prosperity. “Republicans put forward a reasonable plan to fund the government and protect taxpayers. Democrats put partisanship ahead of doing their job. Americans deserve better than this kind of dysfunction.”
“Shutting down the government is a losing strategy,” Gardner added. “Businesses suffer; federal workers get furloughed, and services are interrupted for all Americans. It’s time for leaders to put the country first and pass a budget that reflects real priorities—not political games. The American people are tired of crisis-to-crisis governing and deserve accountability from those elected to serve.”
The consequences of this political gridlock are real—impacting families, small businesses, and the broader economy. Here is just a small sample of the headlines Americans are seeing across the country:
Across the country, the grassroots are holding elected officials accountable for voting to shut down the government.
AFP-GA State Director Tony West released the following statement:
“It is time for Senators Ossoff and Warnock to start working for Georgians and vote for a clean continuing resolution. Georgia families should not suffer the consequences of Democrats’ partisan games. Every day this shutdown is drawn out is because Democrats refuse to support a clean funding bill. Senator Ossoff and Senator Warnock need to do the right thing and vote to re-open the government. This is a completely senseless situation—the type of Washington politics Georgians are tired of.”
AFP-MI State Director Tim Golding released the following statement:
“Michigan families are paying the price for Washington’s dysfunction. Every day this shutdown drags on is a direct result of Democrat representatives refusing to support a clean funding bill. Instead of standing with their constituents, they are choosing politics over solutions. That’s unacceptable. It’s time to put people first, reopen the government, and get back to the work of serving Americans.”
AFP-NC State Director Tyler Voigt released the following statement:
“Hardworking North Carolinians are paying the price for Democrats’ partisan politics. By refusing to support a clean continuing resolution, Democrats like Don Davis are putting their interests above those of their constituents. This is unacceptable. It’s time to reopen the government and put the interests of North Carolinians first.”
AFP Regional Director Greg Moore released the following statement:
“It is time for Senators Shaheen and Hassan to listen to their constituents, stop playing partisan games, and vote for a clean continuing resolution. Their refusal to act is prolonging a senseless shutdown that’s hurting New Hampshire.
“Senator Shaheen is leading the charge to keep the government closed—demanding billions in Obamacare subsidies, including for illegal immigrants, while New Hampshire families and businesses pay the price for Washington’s dysfunction.
“We urge Shaheen and Hassan to do the right thing for their constituents by putting their political agenda aside and voting to re-open the government.”
New polling from YouGov confirms that 61% of Americans believe government shutdowns hurt Congress’s ability to help the country succeed. AFP urges all lawmakers to return to the negotiating table, pass a clean funding bill to reopen the government, and commit to long-term reforms that prevent future shutdowns and restore trust in the budget process.
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