Leavitt Calls Out Democrats Over 32 Day Schumer Shutdown

The government shutdown has stretched into a long standoff, with food assistance paused, federal paychecks delayed, and a fiery exchange on Sunday between the White House press secretary and Democrats over spending and border policy. This piece lays out the key remarks from the press secretary, examines the filibuster debate and its risks, and outlines the Republican stance on reopening the government before negotiating broader policy changes.

The Schumer Shutdown has now entered its second month, and the human costs are piling up with SNAP benefits expired and many federal workers going unpaid. Travel and security services are strained too, with air traffic controller shortages causing delays at major airports as the country heads into peak travel season. On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took her message to Fox Business’ Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo, delivering a forceful account of the administration’s position.

Leavitt opened with a hard line aimed squarely at Democratic leaders, blaming them for forcing the shutdown and framing the standoff as a matter of priorities. She stressed the pain being felt by everyday Americans and emphasized that the administration sees the core dispute as Democrats demanding massive new spending. First, she:

Press Secretary Leavitt said:

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.

The administration argues that reopening the government should come first, then negotiations can proceed on policy items such as immigration and healthcare. Leavitt reiterated that Republicans view taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants as a red line, and that any talks should start from the position of reopening federal services for citizens and lawful residents. She framed the current demand from Democrats as an attempt to rework the health system and add trillions in spending while keeping federal operations shuttered.

There is, however, a substantive constitutional and procedural concern tied to calls for eliminating the filibuster to force votes. Removing the 60-vote threshold for legislation could make continuing resolutions the norm, enabling government to be run on temporary measures instead of full budgets. That approach risks institutional instability and could make major policy shifts easier for whichever party holds a narrow majority at any given time.

Critics warn that altering the filibuster permanently would empower short-term majorities to push through sweeping changes with minimal deliberation. The filibuster, flawed though it may be, still acts as a brake on rapid, partisan transformations of federal law and funding. If the threshold becomes a simple majority tool, the political pendulum could swing hard, and the next majority could use similar tactics to undo past compromises.

Leavitt addressed this tension while pressing the point that the GOP wants the government reopened before broader fights resume. She also praised President Trump’s record on negotiating lower prescription drug costs and delivering tax policy aimed at putting more money into Americans’ pockets. “How can we fix our healthcare system? There is no one more concerned, committed to answering and solving that question than President Donald Trump,” she said, tying policy priorities to the tactical choice to hold the line on the continuing resolution.

The immediate Republican posture remains clear: pass the continuing resolution, restart federal operations, then negotiate on long-term policy. That posture sets the tactical objective for House and Senate Republicans and the administration, while also putting pressure on Democratic leaders seen as demanding far-reaching spending and policy changes as the price of reopening. The deadline-driven nature of budget fights keeps the focus on reopening first, then bargaining.

The political stakes are high as the shutdown affects families, federal employees, and national operations. For conservatives who view border security and fiscal restraint as nonnegotiable, the current standoff appears to be about defending those priorities against what they describe as overreach. The debate over procedure, substance, and political consequence will likely continue until lawmakers find a way to restore funding and reopen the government.

The Press Secretary :

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.