Shutdown standoff: NE leaders trade blame
By Ariana Joy Cobler, KHGI
(October 1, 2025)
The Nebraska Democratic Party has issued a strong statement condemning President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans for the impending government shutdown.
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb criticized the GOP for prioritizing the interests of billionaires over American families, leading to potential mass layoffs of federal workers. "Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans own the pending government shutdown. Instead of putting American families first, Trump and Republicans choose to enrich their billionaire buddies and threaten mass layoffs for federal workers, as if they are the problem," said Kleeb.
Kleeb also highlighted the impact of Republican policies on farmers and small businesses, citing harmful tariffs that could lead to bankruptcies. She emphasized that with control of the presidency, Senate and House, Republicans have no excuse for the shutdown. Kleeb criticized Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson for instructing members to leave during a critical time, allowing the government to halt.
The statement further noted that Democrats have been united in efforts to lower costs and preserve healthcare for millions, opposing what they describe as "disastrous policies" from Trump and Speaker Johnson. The Nebraska Democratic Party pointed out that due to Republican inaction, costs for 22 million Americans are expected to rise by an average of 75% when Affordable Care Act premiums expire. In Nebraska, individuals paying $314 with subsidized coverage could see costs jump to $815. Additionally, 17 million Americans, including 78,000 Nebraskans, may lose healthcare coverage due to the budget bill signed by Trump on July 4, 2025.
The statement concluded by noting the unpopularity of healthcare cuts, with 71% of Americans opposing Medicaid reductions, and criticized Republicans for avoiding public discussions on the issue.
In a post, the party shared an image from Capitol Hill, stating, "The day could not be defined better than this image from Capitol Hill today." The post criticized House Republicans for following House Speaker Mike Johnson's orders to stay home, rather than working on a solution in Washington, contrasting this with House Democrats who "stayed to work out a last-minute solution." The post urged Americans from all political affiliations to be "furious" and called out Nebraska representatives by name, asking, "Where are you @repdonbacon, @usrepmikeflood and @repadriansmith?"
The Nebraska Democrats emphasized the importance of remembering these actions in the November 2026 elections and encouraged constituents to contact their representatives to demand action to avoid a shutdown.
In response, Nebraska Republicans have pushed back on Democratic criticism, placing blame on Senate Democrats and President Biden.
Rep. Adrian Smith criticized Senate Democrats for their role in the government shutdown, stating it was "avoidable." Smith noted that House Republicans had passed a bill earlier in September to address spending responsibly. He expressed concern over the impact on veterans, servicemembers, and the American public, saying, "The fact Democrats don't want our country to move forward while they make ideological demands is unfortunate for veterans and others who are served by federal agencies, for our servicemembers who are now at risk of going without pay for a time, and for the American people."
U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts has assured constituents that his offices remain open and ready to assist during the ongoing government shutdown. In a statement, Ricketts said, "My offices across the state remain open. My team remains available to help Nebraskans. I will keep fighting to end this Schumer Shutdown and restore essential services."
Ricketts criticized Democrats for rejecting a proposed extension of the current bipartisan spending deal. "Republicans offered Chuck Schumer and Democrats a clean extension of the current bipartisan spending deal. Democrats voted it down. I’m fighting to end this Schumer Shutdown and responsibly fund the government," he said.
Due to the shutdown, Ricketts announced the postponement of Mobile Office Hours, with plans to reschedule once the government reopens. Meanwhile, his offices in Scottsbluff, Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha and Washington, D.C., will remain operational to serve constituents.
U.S. Congressman Mike Flood, chair of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee, has issued a warning about the potential consequences of a federal government shutdown.
"A federal government shutdown is looming as Washington Democrats hold up government funding," said Flood. He emphasized that the National Flood Insurance Program would be "severely impacted at midnight tonight," resulting in no new flood insurance contracts being issued.
This could delay real estate transactions requiring flood insurance. Flood urged Democrats to "come to the table and vote to keep the government open," stressing the importance of maintaining critical programs like flood insurance. Flood represents Nebraska’s First Congressional District and also chairs the Republican Main Street Caucus.
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer announced her support for a resolution to keep the federal government operational, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in government funding.
"Today, I voted for a clean funding resolution that keeps the government open so Congress can continue working on our full-year funding bills," said Fischer.
She criticized Democrats for proposing a $1 trillion increase in spending and the elimination of the $50 billion Rural Hospital Stabilization Fund. "Americans deserve a transparent and accountable process as we fund government – not a Schumer shutdown filled with political theater," said Fischer. She assured constituents that her offices would remain open during any government shutdown as she and her staff continue to work for Nebraska.
Rep. Don Bacon issued a statement criticizing Democratic leadership for failing to pass a clean Continuing Resolution (CR), which he said led to a government shutdown.
"Republicans passed a clean, short-term CR with no additional funding except for security for Members of Congress and Federal office holders such as judges," said Bacon.
He accused Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of catering to their "far-left base" by opposing the resolution. Bacon noted that Republicans are open to negotiating on ACA tax credits during the normal appropriations process, which requires bipartisan support. He emphasized that it is "very unusual for either party to oppose a clean CR" and highlighted past cooperation under the Biden administration, where a clean CR was passed 13 times.
Bacon expressed gratitude to Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman and Independent Sen. Angus King for prioritizing Americans over party interests.
The Nebraska for Us coalition organized a protest outside Congressman Don Bacon's office, urging the House to address health care costs and reopen the government. The coalition expressed gratitude to those who joined the demonstration on short notice. "Thanks to those who were able to meet up with us this morning on short notice outside Congressman Don Bacon’s office. It’s time for the House to get back to work and lower health care costs while getting the government back open," the group stated in a video posted on Instagram.
