Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference with Maryland Delegation to Condemn the Republican Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered the following remarks at a press conference with Members of Congress in the Maryland Delegation to condemn the Republican government shutdown. Below is a video and transcript of his full remarks:

Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

"This is a sad day, but not a surprising day. It's a sad day because we are doing something that is stupid, harmful, harmful to the people who make our government work, who serve the American people every day. It is a sad day. It is a stupid day because this is costing the taxpayer a lot of money. It's costing individual federal workers and federal contractors economic pain and loss. But as Senator Alsobrooks said, and Senator Van Hollen said, it is not a surprising day. Why is it not a surprising day? I want to read you a few quotes, because [the] lie after lie after lie [Trump] is telling the American people, 'Democrats want to shut down the government. Democrats are responsible.' Remember America, four years of Joe Biden, Democrats in charge of the House, Democrats in charge of the Senate. (holds up hand to form the number zero) That's how many shutdowns we had: zero. Zero shutdowns.

"Now, let me read you some quotes: 'RNC leadership should not be afraid of [a] government shutdown, ' September 18th, 2013, Donald Trump. 'Our country needs a good shutdown in September, ' Donald Trump, May 2017. ' If we closed down the country, I will take it because we're closing it down for border security,' Donald Trump, December 11th, 2018. 'I will take the mantle of shutting down. I'm going to shut it down,' Donald Trump, December 11th, 2018. 'So if it has to be shut down, I'll have it shut down.' Donald Trump, September 26th, 2025.

"The Republicans have, as a policy of leverage and force, shutting down America's government. Newt Gingrich did it in 1995. It was done in 2013, again by the Republicans, and it was done again for 37 days. And what are we asking? [To] keep the government open and, by the way, make sure that Americans do not lose their health care. Make sure they're not confronted today, tomorrow, and the next day with premiums they cannot afford. Don't let American families be terrified by the fact that one of their family or themselves may get sick, and they will not be able to pay. And for those of us who are not in that position, understand that every person who loses health care insurance and gets sick will not be able to pay the bill. And guess who's going to pay the bill? All of us. Because there will be uncompensated care and the hospitals have to keep the lights on.

"This is a sad day, but based upon the quotes that I have given you as the use of shutdown as policy by the Republican Party for a very long time now; and it just took them nine months of this administration to do the same. We need to open this government. We need to open it tomorrow. But as Senator Van Hollen pointed out, the Republicans are not here. We had a caucus this morning, the room was filled with Democrats who were asking, 'How can we get the government open? How can we get the government open without forgetting those who are now able to have health care, but who will not if we do not adopt an amendment which says we're going to continue to help you with your premiums, with your co-pay, with your affordable care?'

"Speaker Johnson, the last time we had a shutdown vote - which we passed in a bipartisan way when Democrats were in charge - you voted no. So don't tell us that you want to keep the government open, because the last time you had an opportunity to do so, you voted no. And Mr. Scalise voted no. And Mr. Cole, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the House, voted no. Stop demagoguing on the American people. Stop demagoguing about federal employees, and Mr. Vought, stop saying you want to traumatize federal employees. Stop saying you want to shut down the government, which he said - speaking specifically about EPA, but he said he wanted to shut down government spending. How sad it is to have a party in charge of the House of Representatives and of the United States Senate that wants to shut down the [American] people's government so that they can have political gain. A sad but not surprising day."