U.S. Representative August Pfluger (R), joined by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), went on KWEL 107.1's The Morning Show with Craig Anderson to discuss what they described as the Democrats' "reckless government shutdown."
They both emphasized the divide between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for prioritizing political interest over governance.
"Democrats have literally no respect for the American public as they're doing, you know, political theater," said Pfluger. "We've done our job. We voted to fund the military. We voted to fund the VA. We voted to fund the rest of the government, and they just need to come to the table and vote yes."
Pfluger took a moment to praise President Trump for ensuring that service members continue to receive pay during the shutdown.
"This President goes above and beyond every single time," he said. "Thank goodness he came up with a good solution for our military so that they don't have to go unpaid."
Majority Leader Scalise echoed those sentiments, blaming the shutdown on Schumer's efforts to "appease his most radical left base," and avoid a political challenge from Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"Chuck Schumer is representing the state of New York, which is about to elect an avowed socialist as their mayor of New York City," said Scalise. "He is afraid of AOC running against him in a primary and beating him."
Scalise pointed to a "sharp contrast" between parties, noting President Trump's recent achievements, including securing the peace treaty between Israel and Gaza, while Senate Democrats "voted down for the eighth time a basic bill just to keep the lights on."
Both lawmakers underscored their commitment to reopening the government and restoring focus on national priorities like energy independence, defense, and border security.
