I guess they’re running out of things to say because this isn’t the first Democrat to say this, to the point where they’re being stacked like pancakes. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) said it, followed by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), and now Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Democrats making the American people suffer during this government shutdown is the only leverage they have:
RI’s @SenWhitehouse defends Dems shutting down the govt to try extracting concessions from Republicans: “It’s the only lever we have” (reporting from @NicholasBallasy) pic.twitter.com/826hIMhCZr
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 28, 2025
Chris Coons believes that denying Americans their SNAP benefits may be “unpleasant,” but it’s worth doing because it gives Democrats political “leverage.”
— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) October 28, 2025
Absolutely deranged. pic.twitter.com/QgwNw8YpBJ
🚨The Democrats are now admitting that they are intentionally causing American families to "suffer" with their reckless government shutdown.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 22, 2025
What is wrong with them? https://t.co/MhFEsBweoJ
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans might be getting weak-kneed as the Schumer shutdown progresses. It’s pathetic. Trying to get $1.5 trillion additional monies for illegal alien health care and NPR funding is unpopular. The polling shows that we have the cards here. We have a continuing resolution that these Democrat clowns supported in March. It keeps the government funded at Biden-era levels; no GOP poison pills—nothing. And you want to talk about caving (via Axios):
Speaker Mike Johnson is now up to more than a half-dozen known members pushing for the House to return from their month-plus hiatus.
On a private GOP call this afternoon, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) questioned how the House could make up for the lost days, a source on the call told us.
Why it matters: Johnson's not wrong when he brags about his conference's unity on the shutdown. But the cracks are growing.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) also raised concerns on the call about being on recess. They both have expressed opposition before.
The House last voted on Sept. 19, when it passed a short-term spending stopgap.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) have also called for the House to return, though not on today's GOP call.
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Hold the damn line, guys.
SHOCKING: CNN’s statistician Harry Enten reveals Republicans popularity has surged 3 points since the government shutdown. “It's actually up 5 points since pre-shutdown. So what we’re seeing here is the Republican brand in Congress has actually improved somewhat.”
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) October 28, 2025
House… pic.twitter.com/4buo5USYCv
Republicans have received an INCREASE in support from the American people during the DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN.
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 28, 2025
President Trump and Republicans are on the right side of history. pic.twitter.com/LdqctV7Lil
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