Sen. James Lankford, U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, has used his social media platform to criticize Democratic lawmakers regarding the ongoing government shutdown. In a series of posts on October 9, 2025, Lankford attributed responsibility for the shutdown to his Democratic colleagues and highlighted its impact on military personnel.
On October 9, 2025, Lankford wrote, “My Democrat colleagues are directly responsible for this shutdown. They’re holding paychecks for our troops hostage to demand a costly expansion of temporary healthcare subsidies, HOV lanes for electric vehicles, and more. We need to get government open so our service members,” expressing concern about withheld paychecks for service members and criticizing policy demands he described as unrelated to core government funding.
Later that day, Lankford referenced comments made by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He posted, “Yesterday, Chuck Schumer said, ‘Every day gets better for us,’ during this Democrat-led shutdown. Well, @SenSchumer, while you are trying to appeal to your far-left base, our service members are missing paychecks.”
In another post on October 9, 2025, Lankford continued his criticism: “Sen. Schumer believes this shutdown is a success for the Democrats politically. You’ve got to be kidding me – members of our military are serving our country while not getting paid. I don’t think the American people would agree with you, @SenSchumer.”
Government shutdowns in the United States occur when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills or continuing resolutions to fund federal agencies and programs. During such periods, non-essential government operations halt and some federal employees—including many military personnel—may experience delayed pay until funding is restored.
Lankford’s comments reflect ongoing partisan disagreements over federal spending priorities. Disputes have previously led to shutdowns that impacted various services and workers across the country.
