Cotton: The Schumer Shutdown is hurting Arkansans

October 30, 2025

by Sen. Tom Cotton

The government shutdown is hurting Arkansans. That’s why I’m fighting to end it. While Senator Chuck Schumer says that “every day keeps getting better” for the Democrats, that’s not the case for Arkansans who have been impacted by the Schumer Shutdown.

For 28 days, Schumer and the Democrats have refused to reopen the government unless we agree to their unserious demands and surrender to $1.4 trillion in new spending. I want to explain why the Democrats’ demands are bad for Arkansas—and why I’m working to open the government.

What Democrats are demanding is billions in new funding, including for taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens and climate change programs overseas. This is a ransom. If Arkansans are forced to pay this ransom to keep the government open, then Democrats will demand more and more.

Because Democrats haven’t gotten their way, they have voted to stop paying our troops (including the Arkansas National Guard), federal law enforcement officials, border patrol agents, and other hard-working Americans. As these men and women show up to work, and in some cases, put their lives on the line, they are forced to work without a paycheck. This is wrong, and it’s immoral.

Federal workers aren’t the only ones suffering. Due to skyrocketing inflation under Joe Biden, Arkansas’s farmers have long been forced to deal with the rising costs of machinery, fertilizer, and other supplies. The Schumer Shutdown is starting to impact critical programs and services for farmers—including farm loan processing, agriculture risk coverage, and price loss coverage—during harvest season.

Additionally, 42 million SNAP recipients and 7 million WIC recipients across America could have their benefits delayed or disrupted. This means that more than 155,000 WIC-eligible women, infants, children, and caregivers in Arkansas and more than 240,000 Arkansan SNAP recipients will not receive benefits.

Chuck Schumer and the Democrats may be willing to use hard-working Americans as political pawns and gamble with their livelihoods, but President Trump and Republicans in Congress will continue to fight for the American people and reopen the government.

I’ve voted to reopen the government more than a dozen times, and I’ll do it again. It’s past time to stop playing politics, to support our troops and federal workers, and to open the government.