admin
Missouri Rep. Mark Alford tore into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Newsmax this week, charging that the Senate’s refusal to back a clean funding measure was less about policy and more about protecting Schumer’s political skin from a potential primary challenge by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Alford bluntly accused Schumer of putting pride and intra-party politics ahead of keeping the government open and serving the public.
The federal government went dark at 12:01 a.m. as hours of brinkmanship ended with Democrats blocking a short-term continuing resolution and allowing federal funding to lapse. Republicans in the House had pushed a clean CR to maintain current spending levels while work continued on appropriations, but the Senate’s maneuvering ensured the shutdown played out on the national stage.
Alford emphasized that the House did its job, passing what he called a common-sense extension to keep the lights on for seven weeks so Congress could finish appropriation bills responsibly. Instead of negotiating in good faith, he said, Democrats chose political theater over the basic responsibility of governance.
This isn’t just one lonely Republican talking — Senators Eric Schmitt and JD Vance echoed the same conclusion, arguing that Schumer’s calculus is being driven by fear of the left flank of his party rather than the needs of Americans. Those Republican voices warn the shutdown is being manufactured as a concession to radical elements within the Democratic caucus, a spectacle that punishes service members, veterans, and working families.
Vance even laid out the price: vital programs and paychecks are held hostage while Democrats allegedly insist on policy concessions — including expanded taxpayer-funded benefits — before they’ll agree to reopen government. If true, this is a vivid example of political grandstanding that chooses ideological wins over the practical well-being of fellow citizens and national security.
Enough of these shutdown stunts. Responsible leaders on both sides should back reforms like an automatic continuing resolution to prevent future shutdowns and immediately prioritize funding the government while policy fights continue where they belong. If Democrats are willing to let pride and primary politics dictate the fate of federal workers and families, Republicans must expose the hypocrisy and press for lasting, commonsense fixes that keep government running.
