Democrats Admit the Truth: Their Shutdown is About “Leverage,” Not the American People

WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress have now voted 14 times to keep the government closed.

Since the shutdown began, Democrats have cycled through excuses and lies — first claiming that they didn’t cause it, then it was about “health care,” then it was about “Trump.” But over time, they’ve admitted what this is really about: power and political leverage.

Behind closed doors and in public interviews, top Democrat leaders have been caught admitting the truth — that their shutdown is a political weapon, not a policy disagreement.

They’ve acknowledged that the pain inflicted on working families is “leverage” and a cynical tool to appease the far-left activists driving their agenda.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER

“Every day gets better for us,”

HOUSE DEMOCRAT WHIP KATHERINE CLARK

“Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”

HOUSE DEMOCRAT CAUCUS CHAIR PETE AGUILAR

“We understand this is not easy, and this is going to be painful…”

DEMOCRAT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS

“If you reopen the government, we lose our leverage”

DEMOCRAT SENATOR CHRIS COONS

“… Frankly this is our only moment of leverage and although a very unpleasant tool to use…”

SENIOR DEMOCRAT AIDE

DEMOCRAT REP. EMILIA SYKES

“We know that people are going to suffer if we don’t open the government… And I’m just going to make it as plain as possible: people will go hungry.”

DEMOCRAT SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE

[Shutting down the government is] “the only lever we have,”

SENATE DEMOCRAT SOURCE

“We would have enough votes if people were not terrified of getting the guillotine.”

UNNAMED DEMOCRAT SENATOR

“’People are going to get hammered’ if they vote for the House-passed bill to reopen the government.”

###