House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), the second-ranking Democrat in the House, has sparked criticism from Republican leaders after admitting that the ongoing government shutdown is being used as a bargaining tool in congressional negotiations.
In an interview with Fox News, Clark described the partial closure as an “inflection point,” a strategic move to influence policy discussions at a critical stage, including healthcare legislation.
“Shutdowns are terrible, and of course there will be families that are going to suffer,” Clark said, according to the Washington Examiner. “We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
She added that the shutdown is intended to encourage Republicans to negotiate on priorities, including provisions affecting healthcare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Republican lawmakers responded swiftly and sharply.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted on X, “They’re saying the quiet part out loud. The Schumer Shutdown is all politics.”
Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the strategy “absolutely reprehensible,” while Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis condemned the approach as exploiting American families for political gain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) emphasized the seriousness of Clark’s comments by placing a television monitor outside his office, continuously replaying her interview.
Johnson tweeted, “Utterly shameful! The Democrats OPENLY ADMIT they are causing the shutdown—and using hardworking American families as their LEVERAGE.”
Republicans argue that passing a clean continuing resolution (CR) could end the shutdown immediately, but Democrats are reportedly refusing to do so in order to maintain leverage in negotiations.
The White House also issued a statement condemning Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.
“More than a million federal employees aren’t getting paid, Americans are facing delays at airports, food stamp funding is drying up, small businesses are teetering on collapse, and tourists are shut out of the nation’s capital,” the statement read.
It cited comments from Democratic Senators, including Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Martin Heinrich, which indicate the party views the shutdown as a strategic lever rather than a crisis to be resolved.
Clark acknowledged the real impact on families and healthcare.
“The marketplace, the ACA [Obamacare] marketplace, open enrollment takes place on Nov. 1. People are receiving their premium notices that they’re going to go to that marketplace and say, ‘I can’t afford this.’ That is a real crisis for American families,” she said.
Critics argue that Democrats’ strategy places real hardship on Americans for political gain, including delayed paychecks for federal workers and disruption to essential services, according to Breitbart.
Republicans maintain that a straightforward CR could immediately restore government operations, protect federal employees and prevent disruptions to healthcare and other critical programs.
They contend that Democrats’ refusal to act demonstrates a willingness to let Americans suffer in order to extract political concessions—a tactic now openly admitted by Clark herself.
The shutdown has reignited national debates over the ethics of using government operations as leverage.
Families, workers, and business owners continue to face consequences, while lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are under pressure to negotiate a resolution.
Observers warn that if the shutdown persists, the consequences could affect the economy, public services, and public trust in Congress, raising broader questions about governance and political responsibility.
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