Sen. James Lankford, U.S. Senator representing Oklahoma, published a series of posts on October 7, 2025, addressing the issue of government shutdowns and highlighting statements from other senators.
In his first post, Lankford quoted Senator Ben Ray Luján: “.@SenatorLujan: ‘Shutting down the government should be a non-starter.'” (October 7, 2025).
He continued by referencing Democratic lawmakers’ past remarks and their recent voting record: “Democrats once called shutdowns ‘devastating’ and ‘reckless.’ Now they’ve voted five times to shut down the government, just to prove to the far-left that they’re fighting President Trump. Here’s aof what they’ve said “ (October 7, 2025).
Lankford also cited Senator Bernie Sanders’ perspective on the matter: “.@SenSanders: ‘Shutting down the government is a serious and dangerous action that we must do everything possible to prevent. Shutting down the government would impact tens of millions of our fellow Americans who would be unable to access government services.'” (October 7, 2025).
Government shutdowns have historically disrupted federal operations and public services across the United States. These events often result from budgetary impasses between Congress and the President. In previous years, both parties have criticized shutdowns for their effects on citizens and federal employees.
