Amodei Statement on Day 28 of the Democrat Shutdown and Its Avoidable Consequences

Washington, D.C.- Rep. Mark Amodei released the following statement addressing Day 28 of the ongoing federal government shutdown:

"There are consequences to shutting the government down," said Rep. Mark Amodei."As of today, the federal government has been closed for 28 days, and the real pain is setting in. Nearly six weeks ago, my Republican colleagues and I in both the House and Senate voted to fully fund the programs Americans rely on and ensure every federal employee and member of the military gets paid. This shutdown was completely avoidable. Yet, instead of joining us to keep the government open, Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to do the opposite.

"There is no mystery that, despite some commendable efforts from private individuals and the administration to delay the realities of government shutdowns, everyone knows when SNAP benefits run dry and programs start shutting down.

"So, when I hear people suddenly saying, after this amount of time, 'Oh my god, the shutdown has consequences,' I have to ask - where has the sense of urgency manifested itself to keep the government funded so far? What has the Senate, with its 60-vote requirement, managed to get 60 votes for? The answers have become clearer by the day as to what the motivations are and who has been motivated to sacrifice people's livelihoods and nutrition for their political gain.

"Notions of leverage and fears about statewide elections in New York shouldn't outweigh the basic responsibility to keep the government running and protect those who rely on it.

"And before I'm asked why I'm not seriously considering the other side of the aisle's proposal, take a good look at what the Chuck Schumer alternative plan is: produces violent deficit results, further hampers rural health care across the nation, and spends billions of dollars creating loopholes that allow people who don't qualify to receive benefits.

"I'm not happy about any of this, but I feel like the mechanic who has made sure that the car is running fine and the tank of gas is full, yet somebody keeps letting the air out of the tires. So, Senate Democrats, put the air back in the tires and let it roll."

Government Shutdown Background

On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026: a clean, short-term continuing resolution designed to prevent a government shutdown. Had the Senate approved it, this measure would have extended the September 30 funding deadline to November 21, 2025.

The bill's sole purpose was to maintain current Fiscal Year 2025 funding levels, allowing additional time for the Appropriations process to continue restoring regular order and advancing Fiscal Year 2026 funding bills.

However, Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against this legislation, actively choosing to prolong the government shutdown. As a result, there is currently no federal funding to keep essential government agencies and programs that millions of Americans depend on operating.

I think it is important to make the point that the largest union representing federal employees, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which historically hasn't aligned with Republicans, has publicly called for the passage of a clean continuing resolution.

Governor Lombardo's Efforts to Reduce Shutdown Impacts

Despite the State's inability to legally fund SNAP with state dollars, Governor Lombardo has directed the Governor's Finance Office, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture to implement the Food Insecurity Nevada Plan, which will secure supplemental resources for SNAP beneficiaries in the event the shutdown extends beyond October 31.

Additionally, under Governor Lombardo's direction, the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, in partnership with the Nevada Office of Emergency Management, requested $7.3 million in emergency funding to ensure participants of Nevada's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program continue receiving access to food benefits. The funding was approved by the Nevada Board of Examiners on October 14 and the Interim Finance Committee (IFC) on October 16. This funding will ensure continued food benefits for participants statewide, including pregnant women, new mothers, and young children through December 23, 2025, regardless of federal funding. Funds will be distributed weekly and only used if the USDA does not provide additional WIC food funding.

Governor Lombardo is proactively developing solutions to use every state resource available to support Nevadans in need.