Scalise: Time for Senate Democrats to End the Madness, Reopen Government

Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and members of the New York Republican delegation to discuss the pain Democrats are inflicting on the American people out of fear of their far-left base. Leader Scalise highlighted millions of Americans in five Democrat states impacted by the Schumer Shutdown. If the Senators from those states voted to reopen the government, the painful suffering would end immediately.
 
Excerpts from Leader Scalise’s remarks:

On Zohran Mamdani now leading the Democrat party:

“It's so sad to see what's happened to the great state of New York. But if you go back to November when President Trump won an overwhelming victory to come back as President, defeating Kamala Harris, winning every one of the seven swing states, in those months after, what you saw was this internal conflict within the Democrat Party. 

“Who is the head of the Democrat Party? You heard it over and over. Some people are trying to raise their hand, a very, very weak bench of failed leaders, primarily, governors from failed states, wanting to jump ahead of everybody else and claim the title. And yet, as the Democrat Party stayed that rudderless ship for months and months, because of this perfect storm, that the two top Democrat leaders in the House and Senate both hail from the state of New York, with the emergence now of Zohran Mamdani, you have seen Zohran Mamdani quickly become the new head of the Democrat Party nationally. Because Chuck Schumer, who is the head Democrat in the Senate, and Hakeem Jeffries, who's the head Democrat in the House, both hailing from New York, are scared to death of that far-left extremist radical socialist Marxist movement in their own party, starting in New York. And because Mamdani has taken off there, it is affecting real people everywhere in America. Devastating consequences, we've talked about it over and over.”

On the real suffering Democrats are inflicting on Americans: 

“I think they're going to start hearing more and more from people. There's some people we've been hearing from. The National Veteran Advocate, who is retired US Army Sergeant Eric Donoho, said this, ‘The decision to vote against advancing the CR is now causing financial harm to families who serve this country.’ He went on to say, ‘When I spoke with Democratic staffers that I know, they called this shutdown a political opportunity; they think the more Americans hurt, the more power they gain. They even bragged about it,’ Donoho said. ‘This isn't a headline to us. It's rent, it's groceries, it's mental health, it's stability.’ And of course, you've heard just a few days ago, we had the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the American Federation of Government Employees demanding that Democrats pass the clean CR. More and more, you're seeing this growing chorus of people from all corners, including Democrat corners, telling their own party leaders, stop this madness, end the madness, and vote to open the government.”

On the need for five more Democrat Senators to vote for their constituents over personal politics:

“This weekend, it gets even more painful, more suffering that they will impose if they keep this madness up. And so I'm going to try to find five Democrat senators. It's all we need is five.

“So let's start with John Ossoff in Georgia. Starting this weekend, over 1.3 million enrollees in SNAP in his home state of Georgia lose their benefits. 1.3 million, Senator. What are you going to tell those families if you vote no [again]? If you vote to take their food away this weekend, that's what your vote means. 109,000 federal workers in his state of Georgia. Of course, the largest airport in America is in his home state of Georgia, and they're already experiencing flight delays in Atlanta. 231,000 women, infant, and children will lose their benefits in Senator Ossoff’s home state of Georgia if he votes no [again]. Think about them when you're casting that vote. 

“Senator Warner in Virginia: 825,000 SNAP enrollees in his home state of Virginia, 189,000 federal workers. Don't come up here and give some speech lamenting about the hardships those people are facing when you're the one voting to impose those hardships. You can stop that by voting yes. 107,000 women, infant, and children will lose their benefits in Virginia...

“Tina Smith in Minnesota: 452,000 enrollees in the SNAP program, 33,000 federal workers, and 101,000 women, infant, and children in Minnesota will lose their benefits...

“Gary Peters in Michigan: over 1.4 million enrollees in SNAP. No food stamp benefits this weekend to 1.4 million Michiganders. 56,000 federal workers, 189,000 women, infant, and children will go without food this weekend in Michigan...

“Senator Shaheen in New Hampshire: 76,000 enrollees in SNAP, 9,000 federal workers, and 12,000 women, infant, and children will go hungry in New Hampshire...

“I could go on with more and more of these. All we need is five. That's five right there. If they get to courage, they don't have to impose that pain on families. But the only way this suffering is prevented is if they come to their senses and vote yes.”

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