It’s not being called the “Schumer Shutdown for nothing.”
As the government shutdown drags into its fourth week, even the nation’s largest federal employees union has had enough. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is now turning its frustration on the Democratic Party, accusing them of holding the country hostage for political gain.
When you’ve lost the patience of career bureaucrats — typically one of your most loyal constituencies — it’s a clear sign that Democrats have pushed their shutdown games way too far.
The bitter partisan standoff in Washington is dragging on, and the fallout is spreading across nearly every corner of public life. Federal workers are feeling the financial squeeze, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and his Democratic allies seem determined to keep using them as pawns. Rather than compromise, they’re doubling down — ‘leveraging’ the livelihoods of government employees and ordinary Americans to demand “free” healthcare for illegal immigrants, all at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
In a Monday statement, AFGE President Everett Kelley said there was “no clear end in sight” to the shutdown as he demanded Congress pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government (which, by the way, the GOP-controlled House has passed and which Republicans have been backing all along).
Kelley didn’t mince words:
This week, Congress pushed our nation into the fourth week of a full government shutdown – an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together. Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight.
Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.
Lots of luck with that one, brother.
Schumer and the Democrats have made it painfully clear where their priorities lie — not with American workers or getting the government running again, but with pandering to illegal immigrants and chasing votes. Instead of negotiating a reasonable continuing resolution, they’re grandstanding over “free” benefits for noncitizens, while federal employees and taxpayers foot the bill.
Let’s be honest: this isn’t about policy; it’s about obsession. Schumer and his party remain fixated on opposing anything President Donald Trump supports, convinced that perpetual resistance keeps their base energized. That strategy already backfired spectacularly in 2024, helping pave the way for Trump’s decisive victory — but Democrats still haven’t learned the lesson.
And now, their stubbornness is inflicting real pain on ordinary Americans, as the shutdown drags on and the consequences of their political games pile up across the country.
Kelly noted further:
As president of the American Federation of Government Employees, I represent over 800,000 federal and D.C. government workers who serve with pride and professionalism.
They ensure our skies are safe, our veterans receive care, our borders are protected, and our food is inspected. They come from every political background and every corner of this nation. What unites them is a simple belief: that service to country is honorable work.
Today, that belief is being tested. The Army nurse in San Antonio, the TSA officer in Atlanta, the USDA food safety inspector in Iowa, and hundreds of thousands more like them are being asked to keep our country running without the paychecks that keep their own households afloat.
These are patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers, and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable.
Once again, this is real-world stuff — not the political theater Democrats live for. The bottom line is simple: Chuck Schumer and his party, who still like to call themselves “the party of the working class” with a straight face, are far more interested in scoring political points against President Trump than in making sure hardworking Americans can pay their bills.
There were three demands made by Kelly:
It’s long past time for our leaders to put aside partisan politics and embrace responsible government. A strong America requires a functioning government — one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time.
The path forward for Congress is clear:
- Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.
- Ensure back pay for every single employee who has served or been forced to stay home through no fault of their own.
- Work together on a bipartisan basis to address important policy matters like addressing rising costs and fixing the broken appropriations process.
Sure, maybe someday the first two talking points will pan out — but let’s be honest, the idea of today’s Trump Derangement Syndrome–ridden Democrat Party working with Republicans in good faith is pure fantasy. Led by Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and far-left radicals like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett, the Democrats have shown zero interest in bipartisanship from day one of Trump’s second term. After years of tantrums, investigations, and obstruction, expecting them to suddenly act like adults in the room is beyond naïve.
Their record speaks for itself: petty, vindictive, and utterly incapable of putting the country before their obsession with taking down Trump.
