By Nick LaLota
For years, Democrats have blasted Republicans for even talking about government shutdowns, warning of the harm they would cause everyday Americans. No one has been louder than New York’s own Senator Chuck Schumer. Yet, just last week, those same Democrats voted to shut down the government outright, rejecting the House’s status-quo funding bill that carried no partisan riders and simply extended existing funding for 52 days. The hypocrisy is striking. The recklessness is worse.
On September 20 — ten days before the fiscal year ended — 216 House Republicans and one House Democrat acted responsibly, passing a bill to keep the government open and protect critical programs. That included funding Long Islanders rely on every day: support for the Suffolk County Police Department, paychecks for Coast Guardsmen in Montauk, Shinnecock, and Eaton’s Neck, and salaries for our air traffic controllers.
By contrast, Senate Democrats now face a choice: put politics aside or deliberately grind government operations to a halt. With 53 Republicans in the Senate, just a handful of Democrats crossing the aisle would secure the 60 votes needed to fund the government. Anything less is a conscious decision to jeopardize the services our families, schools, veterans, and first responders depend on. Instead, Washington Democrats are holding government funding hostage, demanding Republicans agree to extend pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies before they will act.
Last Congress, when President Biden was in office, responsible House Republicans voted to fund the government, despite our strong objections to his open-border policies. We made it clear that shutting down government operations was not the way to fight those battles. Now, the nation needs Senate Democrats to show the same responsibility, and not punish everyday Americans simply because they object to a Trump policy.
This is not about politics — it is about responsibility. Long Islanders expect the government to be predictable and reliable, whether it’s the police keeping neighborhoods safe, services supporting our veterans and seniors, or investments in roads, waterways, and public facilities. When Washington plays partisan games, Long Island pays the price.
It’s time for leaders to put country over party, governance over grandstanding, and Americans over politics. Families across Long Island — and across the nation — deserve nothing less.
Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) is a lifelong Long Islander in his second term representing Suffolk County in the U.S. House of Representatives.