What you need to know
As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, Americans are hearing two very different stories about who is to blame and what is at stake. Official communications from members of Congress express how each side is attempting to shape public opinion on the shutdown. In this brief, we will:
- Highlight what programs and processes decelerate or close as the shutdown continues.
- Compare how Democrats and Republicans describe the causes and consequences of the 2025 shutdown using the DCinbox data.
- Explore what this partisan messaging tells us about the state of American governance.
How do Democrats describe the shutdown?
Congressional Democrats frame the shutdown as both a policy failure and a moral crisis. In their messages to constituents, they focus on tangible policy failures, including missed paychecks for federal employees, lost or delayed SNAP benefits, and expiring Obamacare subsidies.
Democrats have also been pushing the issue of democratic accountability. For instance, Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) wrote that, “Donald Trump and House Republicans have full control of Washington and have now used that power to steer the nation directly into a government shutdown, all because they want to cut your healthcare.” He accused Republican leaders of taking “a vacation instead of dealing with the funding and health care crisis,” and vowed to “stay in Washington and work around the clock to prevent this disaster.”
Similarly, Representative Al Green (D-TX) described the situation as “the unjust Republican shutdown crisis/scheme.” He added, “The Republicans can end the shutdown crisis they have created whenever they choose,” emphasizing GOP control of the House, Senate, and Presidency. (Factually speaking, some Democratic votes are needed to enact a budget in the Senate, given the 60-vote requirement to overcome a filibuster.)
How do Republicans describe the shutdown?
Republican messaging emphasizes fiscal restraint and Democratic partisan obstruction. Members frame the shutdown as a result of Democrats’ unwillingness to compromise on spending, particularly on programs they describe as excessive or misdirected.
House member Tracey Mann (R-KS) argued that “House Republicans did our job, passing a completely non-partisan bill that extends government funding at current levels.” According to this framing, Democrats are responsible for prolonging the crisis by “demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending for a partisan wish list that includes free health care for illegal immigrants.” (Factually speaking, illegal immigrants are legally not allowed to receive health coverage through Obamacare. Those expiring subsidies currently cost about $35 billion per year.)
Another Republican, Cory Mills (R-FL), wrote that “the real obstacle to reopening the government may not be a lack of solutions—it may be fear,” suggesting that Democrats are intimidated by their “far-left base” and unwilling to “put the American people ahead of party politics.” In this narrative, the Republican Party has already acted responsibly, and Democrats are holding out for partisan advantage.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) warned that the “reckless government shutdown” had closed Farm Service Agency offices nationwide, leaving farmers unable to certify crop sales or access loans.
What’s happening as the shutdown continues?
As the standoff enters its fourth week, some government services have been disrupted:
What does the shutdown tell us about Congress in 2025?
The 2025 shutdown indicates that fiscal standoffs are both policy conflicts and symbolic partisan stances. These messages show how each party uses the shutdown to reinforce its broader political identity. Democrats highlight human costs, moral urgency, and democratic principles. Republicans stress efficiency, responsibility, and resistance to government spending.
The Takeaway
The 2025 shutdown debate shows that budget fights have become a stage for partisan posturing – less about keeping the federal government open and more about shaping public opinion on which party stands with the American people.
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Further reading
Congressional Research Service. (2025). Government Shutdowns and Executive Branch Operations: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). https://tinyurl.com/2p9pfcmr, accessed 9/26/25.
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. (2025). Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know. https://tinyurl.com/ehn7azfr, accessed 9/26/25.
Sources
DCinbox. (2025). DCinbox.com. https://tinyurl.com/mwvunrcs, accessed 10/25/2025.
Cormack, L. (2017). DCinbox—Capturing every congressional constituent e-newsletter from 2009 onwards. The Legislative Scholar, 2, 27–34. https://tinyurl.com/2m4nunjh, accessed 10/6/2025.
Lewis, T. (2025). Congressman Al Green to Hold Press Conference on the Unjust Republican Shutdown Crisis/Scheme Caused by Republicans' Refusal to Open the Government or Negotiate with Democrats, Creating a Loss of SNAP Benefits and Higher Healthcare Costs. DCinbox.com. https://tinyurl.com/5n72hyzd, accessed 10/25/2025.
Mann, T. (2025). Message from Rep. Tracey Mann. DCinbox.com. https://tinyurl.com/2mbju2ha, accessed 10/25/2025.
Thune, J. (2025). DCinbox.com. https://tinyurl.com/yxwdvxey, accessed 10/25/2025.
Guest, M. (2025). The Guest Column. DCinbox.com. https://tinyurl.com/4r54pnww, accessed 10/25/2025.
Contributors
Lindsey Cormack (Content Lead) is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology and the Director of the Diplomacy Lab. She received her PhD from New York University. Her research explores congressional communication, civic education, and electoral systems. Lindsey is the creator of DCInbox, a comprehensive digital archive of Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters, and the author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, Big Think, and more. With a drive for connecting academic insights to real-world challenges, she collaborates with schools, communities, and parent groups to enhance civic participation and understanding.
William Bianco (Research Director) is Professor of Political Science at Indiana University and Founding Director of the Indiana Political Analytics Workshop. He received his PhD from the University of Rochester. His teaching focuses on first-year students and the Introduction to American Government class, emphasizing quantitative literacy. He is the co-author of American Politics Today, an introductory textbook published by W. W. Norton, now in its 8th edition, and authored a second textbook, American Politics: Strategy and Choice. His research program is on American politics, including Trust: Representatives and Constituents and numerous articles. He was also the PI or Co-PI for seven National Science Foundation grants and a current grant from the Russell Sage Foundation on the sources of inequalities in federal COVID assistance programs. His op-eds have been published in The Washington Post, Indianapolis Star, Newsday, and other venues.
