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Senator Mullin Alleges Schumer Told Democrats To Wait Until After Elections To Reopen Govt

Senator Alleges Schumer Told Democrats To Wait Until After Elections To Reopen Govt (Screenshot/Fox Business)

Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer privately urged Democratic senators to delay reopening the government until after Election Day.

Democrats are on track to set a new record for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history as Schumer and party leaders signal no plans to reopen it until after Election Day. In an interview on “The Evening Edit,” Mullin said Schumer instructed Democrats to “wait until after the election” to reopen the government.

“Liz, I know Dick Durbin wanted to break with the Democrats and reopen the government,” Mullin told host Elizabeth MacDonald. “Chuck Schumer in a private meeting with other Democrat senators said that if you’ll just wait till after the election, I’ll release the handcuffs. I added the handcuffs part, but basically I’m paraphrasing what he said.”

Mullin said Democratic leaders put electoral politics ahead of Americans struggling under the ongoing shutdown.

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“The reason why is because they’re afraid their base wouldn’t show up today in Virginia, New Jersey and in New York. So it’s been about politics,” Mullin said. “It’s never been about policy. It’s been about holding the American people as leverage points regardless of the damage they cause to the livelihood of these individuals. But elections are more important than the Dems because they know their polls are at the very bottom than it’s ever been for the Democrat Party.”

Several progressives have hinted that if Democrats perform well in Tuesday’s elections, the party should continue holding the line and keep the government closed until their demands are met. The longest government shutdown before now lasted 35 days during President Donald Trump’s first term and centered on his push for border wall funding.

That impasse had less widespread impact because Congress had already approved budgets for several major agencies, including the Department of Defense. In contrast, Democrats appear ready to absorb the economic and political fallout even as millions lose access to federal food assistance, flights face disruptions from staff shortages, and small businesses struggle without access to government loans or contracts.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox Business)