The Schumer Shutdown has now entered its second month. SNAP benefits have run out, thousands of federal employees remain unpaid, and Democrats continue to block negotiations unless Republicans agree to trillions in new spending.
On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joined Fox Business’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, cutting straight to the point in her signature style.
Leavitt opened by addressing the shutdown itself:
"Radical Left Democrats have shut our government down and held the American people hostage for 32 days in a row," says @PressSec.
"We have air traffic controller shortages all over this country… half a million federal workers who are going unpaid. SNAP benefits have expired." pic.twitter.com/Ekyaqy2K3e
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 2, 2025
She noted:
First of all, let’s talk about what we’re dealing with here. Radical left Democrats who have shut our government down and held the American people hostage for 32 days in a row. We have air traffic controller shortages all over this country. Half of our nation’s major airports are suffering from severe delays as we head into the busiest travel months of the season. We have half a million federal workers who are going unpaid. SNAP benefits have expired. Only because of President Trump finding a legal maneuver are our troops continuing to be getting paid.
If it were up to the Democrats, our military and our law enforcement would not be receiving their paychecks, like the rest of the federal government workforce. And Democrats are not showing any sign of wanting to reopen the government. They want to give taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens. These are crazed people that President Trump and Republicans are having to deal with.
And that’s why President Trump has said, Republicans need to get tough, they need to get smart, and they need to use this option to get rid of the filibuster to reopen the government, and do right by the American public. We know, Maria, based on the polling and based on common sense, that the vast majority of this country wants the government reopened. That’s what President Trump is willing to do. That’s what he wants, and he’s willing to use any lever to make it happen.
There’s a serious risk in casually tossing out the filibuster — a guardrail that’s already been eroded in recent years, especially when it comes to judicial nominations. Sure, some might argue for changing the rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold just for continuing resolutions, but that would open the door to Congress governing indefinitely by stopgap measures. It would remove any real incentive to pass a full, responsible budget — something Democrats have proven themselves incapable of doing.
And let’s not kid ourselves: Sooner or later, the Democrats will claw their way back into the majority. When that happens, do we really want to hand them unchecked power to ram through their radical agenda with a simple majority? With today’s crop of far-left activists steering the party, it’s easy to imagine them nuking the filibuster entirely and dismantling one of the last institutional checks that protects republican (small-r) governance in the Senate.
That’s why conservatives are right to think twice. Once that firewall is gone, there’s no getting it back — and the left has already made clear how eagerly they’d exploit it.
That said, Leavitt continued:
.@PressSec: "Republicans and President Trump want to reopen the government — and then we can discuss tackling these very important issues before us. How can we fix our healthcare system? There is no one more committed to answering and solving that question than @POTUS." pic.twitter.com/f2T7l4LvkK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 2, 2025
We hope the government opens tomorrow. We have been saying this for 32 days in a row. The Democrats want to try to renegotiate the entire healthcare system, that they created, by the way, and that’s why they’re holding the government hostage. They want to add $1.7 trillion of new spending and again, give taxpayer-funded Medicaid to illegal aliens. That is a red line in the sand for President Trump and Republicans. He campaigned on ending that, and he did it with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill. And so Republicans and President Trump want to reopen the government, and then we can discuss tackling these very important issues before us.
How can we fix our healthcare system? There is no one more concerned, committed to answering and solving that question than President Donald Trump. That’s why you’ve seen him work tirelessly to negotiate good deals with big pharma, to bring down the cost of prescription drugs in this country. That’s why you saw him pass the largest tax cuts for working families and American consumers in history. To put more money back into their pockets. He is committed to delivering on these issues, but not while we are holding the entire federal government and our country hostage.
Here’s what it all comes down to: Republicans are holding the line — and they have to. The continuing resolution is the hill to stand on. As of now, there’s been no serious talk, at least not publicly, about any alternative strategy. That’s the line in the sand.
The message is simple: Pass the CR, reopen the government, and then we’ll talk. That’s the only responsible path forward. Anything else just rewards the Democrats’ hostage-taking and reckless spending demands.
