Senate Republican Warns Democrats Over Government Shutdown Tactics

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., accused Democrats of exploiting the government shutdown for political gain during an appearance on Newsmax, urging Republicans to clarify that the Democratic Party, not the GOP, is responsible for the crisis.

Ricketts criticized Democrats for using the shutdown as “political leverage” while harming families and federal workers. He highlighted that Democrats have previously supported the spending plan now under dispute, calling their current stance hypocritical. “They’ve voted for this budget four times in nine months, including last March,” he said. “This is a Biden budget, a bipartisan solution, yet they’re refusing to advance it.”

The senator argued that the stalemate disproportionately affects public servants and families reliant on government programs like SNAP. He cited Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who previously stated healthcare should not be debated during a shutdown, as evidence of Democratic inconsistency. “They’re hypocrites,” Ricketts said.

Ricketts also downplayed recent election results, stating Republicans must focus on messaging the public about the budget crisis rather than electoral outcomes. He emphasized that Democrats are prolonging the shutdown to create stress for workers and families.