FACT-CHECK: Yes, Democrats are responsible for the shutdown

Democrat lawmakers were quick to pin the government shutdown on their Republican counterparts, conveniently sidestepping their role in the gridlock.

U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) shared a post on X blaming Republicans for the shutdown.

“Civics 101: Republicans control all three branches of government. It’s their responsibility to pass a budget,” Houlahan wrote.

Other Democrat allies have shared similar half-truths on social media.

‘This is the puzzling part, Senator Schumer actually voted for this exact same legislation multiple times.’

In response to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comments that the Democrats were responsible, Matt Corridoni, a Democratic strategist, replied, “Republicans control all three branches of the government.”

Even former Vice President Kamala Harris chimed in on the debate, writing, “President Trump and Congressional Republicans just shut down the government because they refused to stop your health care costs from rising.”

“Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown,” Harris added.

While the Republicans control the White House and hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, Democrats’ remarks overlook a fundamental truth about how the U.S. government is designed to function, deliberately empowering the minority to block legislation.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Vice President JD Vance. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Republican lawmakers proposed a clean continuing resolution that, if passed, would have allowed the government to remain open by extending funding past the start of fiscal year 2026, which began on October 1. This CR would have acted as a temporary stopgap through November 21, allowing lawmakers time to negotiate a new full-year budget.

However, Democrats, who have refused to support the bill, blocked the bill by triggering a filibuster. Democrat lawmakers refused to budge unless Republicans allowed an extension for Affordable Care Act tax credits. It is important to note that these tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year, after the Republicans’ CR would already have dropped off.

Republicans refused to accept Democrats’ request, arguing that the health care programs use federal tax dollars to provide services to illegal aliens. Additionally, they contended that specific programs could be negotiated in the full-year budget.

To override the Democrats’ filibuster, Republicans filed for cloture, which, if passed, would have forced a vote on the CR.

With a slim Senate majority, Republicans theoretically have enough members to pass a CR in a straightforward vote. However, they do not have the supermajority, 60 votes, needed to invoke cloture and end debate.

RELATED: Democrats deny shutdown is about health care for illegal aliens — then one admits the truth

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Republicans’ attempt to invoke cloture fell short by five votes, causing the CR to die by the October 1 deadline, thus triggering a shutdown.

Republicans have referred to the gridlock as New York Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s shutdown.

“Chuck Schumer has led them all to vote against it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated.

“I sent them in good faith exactly what they had voted for before. We did not put any Republican provisions in that.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) had a similar message about Schumer.

“This is the puzzling part: Senator Schumer actually voted for this exact same legislation multiple times,” she said.

“He voted for it once. He voted for it twice. He voted for it three times. And he voted for it a fourth time in March. But he won’t vote for it today to prevent a government shutdown.

“That’s why this is called a Schumer shutdown. Republicans do have control of the House. We do have control of the White House,” Malliotakis continued. “But what people have to understand is that for a funding bill to get passed in the Senate, it does need seven Democrat votes.”

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