Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) has published an op-ed in The Washington Reporter, calling for an end to the ongoing government shutdown. In his article, Fong argues that the continued closure is having significant negative effects on Californians and Americans nationwide.
“We’re now almost a month into a completely avoidable government shutdown — and the cost to the American people is growing by the day. Every month Washington stalls, California’s military families, workers, vulnerable communities, and small businesses pay the price. We must reopen the government immediately and that requires Senate Democrats to be adults in the room and prioritize governing for all Americans, not just the progressive wing of their party,” wrote Fong.
He criticized Senate Democrats for not supporting what he described as a “clean, short-term funding extension,” despite having previously voted for similar measures multiple times in recent years. According to Fong, “Senate Democrats have previously supported clean, temporary funding bills — voting for them 13 times over the past several years, including a nearly identical bill in March. Yet now, they’re holding the government hostage over a demand for $1.5 trillion in new, partisan spending — a reckless ask for just four weeks of funding.”
Fong highlighted actions taken by House Republicans: “On September 19th, I joined my colleagues in passing the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026 — a straightforward, bipartisan, seven-week stopgap bill that simply keeps the government funded at current levels through November 21st. No gimmicks, no poison pills — just a responsible path forward while long-term funding negotiations continue. Yet the Senate Democrats refuse to act.”
The congressman outlined several consequences of the shutdown: delayed paychecks for federal employees and service members; halted processing of new loans by the Small Business Administration; interruptions to nutrition support programs like WIC; and delays in public health inspections such as drug approvals.
“Across the country, 1.9 million federal civilian employees are facing delayed paychecks. Another 1.3 million active-duty service members and over 100,000 federal law enforcement officers are about to go unpaid. While President Donald Trump is doing his best to pay our troops and keep critical services running, the consequences of the Democrats’ shutdown are growing,” he stated.
Fong also pointed out economic impacts specific to California: “This month alone, California has taken a $9 billion hit to our GDP. Over five million Californians who rely on SNAP, including two million children, are facing service disruptions. Consumer spending is down by $3.3 billion.”
He attributed responsibility for these issues to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his colleagues: “These aren’t just numbers on a page — they represent our neighbors, friends, and families who are now suffering because of Senate Democrats’ partisan demands… This shutdown is more than just a political standoff — it’s a crisis caused by a choice Senator Schumer has made, felt deeply across the Golden State.”
To support his argument against continuing the shutdown for policy reasons unrelated to appropriations bills themselves, Fong quoted Senator Schumer: “‘If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most,’ he warned. ‘A government shutdown means seniors who rely on Social Security could be thrown into chaos.’”
He also cited comments from Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) during an earlier government closure: “‘We first should reopen government. Why punish people who are applying for food stamps…? Open government first!’”
Fong concluded with an appeal to end what he called “partisan games”: “Californians and all Americans are tired of Senator Schumer’s political games. Hardworking families deserve a government that works for them.
The time to reopen our government is now.”
