Democrat Says Shutdown ‘A Real Problem’ Minutes After Voting To Keep Government Closed
Senate Democrats have largely toed their party line during the second week of the government shutdown, remaining firm on extending Obamacare subsidies even as some lawmakers acknowledge the harmful effects of a shutdown for their constituents.
Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday that the shutdown became untenable “a week ago” — in other words, that a shutdown was still untenable. Hicklooper had voted “no” minutes earlier on the Republican Party’s clear and continuing resolution that would reopen the government.
Hickenlooper described flight cancellations and air traffic controller staffing issues during the shutdown as “a real problem,” especially for a state that is home to the sixth busiest state. airport in the world. He also described the impact of the shutdown on Colorado’s fall tourist rush.
“They have done an admirable job of maintaining the [national parks] open, but dramatically limited access, you know, visitor amenities and things like that,” Hickenlooper told DCNF. “It’s not the same experience that it would be otherwise. This is peak leaf viewing. So in all these small towns, you know, 10% of their annual sales are in the next two weeks. So this is a real problem.
The senator also expressed his concern about the Denver Federal Centera major regional hub for federal government operations in the Western United States, which serves as a multi-agency federal campus providing offices, laboratories, warehouses, and logistical support to more than two dozen federal agencies.
“There’s a huge federal complex in Lakewood, Colorado, and those are our constituents,” Hickenlooper told the DCNF. “There are tens of thousands of people who, you know, could be reimbursed, but they’re struggling to pay their rent, and that affects landlords, and that affects their families.” (RELATED: Schumer Keeps Government Shut Down Despite Growing Costs of Shutdown
Senator Hickenlooper’s office did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 13: U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) arrives for a vote at the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Senate voted on the motion to pass the Laken Riley Act. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
As the shutdown enters its eighth day — already the fourth longest in U.S. history — the impact on Americans will only grow in scale and scope. Senate Majority Whip John Barasso warned of the “dangerous game” Democrats are playing in a speech Wednesday.
“The minority leader is leading the Democratic Party into a canyon,” Barasso said. “And it’s a dangerous game, and it’s not just dangerous for them, it’s dangerous for the American people. That’s where the danger lies.”
“American families are feeling the pain across the country,” Barasso continued. “In Georgia, more than 100,000 federal workers are wondering where they will find the money to pay their bills and buy groceries. In Arizona, 344,000 children enrolled in SNAP face uncertainty. Benefits are running out. Time is running out.”
The Majority Whip warned of expiring benefits for half a million people in New York enrolled in WIC, a food security program for low-income mothers; he also warned of $500 million in weekly losses in Illinois during the shutdown and delays in $92 million in loans from Michigan’s Small Business Administration.
“These businesses are the backbone of our communities and our economy,” Barasso said. “They should be able to pay salaries and keep their doors open… not while Democrats continue to play what has been called “a dangerous game.”
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