U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) is calling out Senate Democrats for voting against reopening the government 13 times, accusing them of holding the federal government "hostage" for political leverage while millions of Americans face the consequences.
With the Republican dubbed "Schumer Shutdown," 3.5 million Texans are expected to lose access to SNAP benefits and other nutrition programs beginning Saturday, November 1, if the shutdown continues.
"At the first of the month, November 1st, 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, WIC, other nutrition assistance programs, food stamps, will stop receiving the benefits they rely on as a safety net to put food on the table," Cornyn commented. "This includes 3.5 million of my constituents in Texas, 1.7 million of whom are children."
Condemning what he called "sheer political stubbornness," Cornyn accused Democrats of "literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry children because of their stubbornness."
He noted that the consequences of the shutdown are already being felt across Texas, particularly among food banks, which are bracing for a surge in demand.
"I've been hearing from food banks in Texas, who are writing in with their concerns, saying they will require a 50% increase in food supplies next month to keep up with the increased demand from people who aren't getting paid and... people who are being denied this basic assistance," he said.
Cornyn pointed to remarks by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who told Punchbowl News "every day gets better for us" during an October 9 interview.
Cornyn questioned, "who is 'us'? Not the 31 million Texans I represent."
Cornyn further highlighted the human cost of the shutdown during the holiday season. "What will Senate Democrats tell families who haven't been paid for an extended period of time when they have to tell their children, well, Santa isn't coming this year because your mom and dad haven't gotten paid?" he questioned.
"It's high time for our Democratic colleagues to come to their senses and reopen the government," Cornyn urged.
If the government is not reopened by November 1, this will mark a full month since the federal shutdown began.
