U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) appeared on Fox News’ “Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner to discuss the ongoing government shutdown and his views on Senate Democratic leadership.
During the interview, Mullin stated that several Senate Democrats are willing to work with Republicans to reopen the government, but they are unable to act due to their leader’s stance. He said, “I’m also on the Appropriations Committee so I’ve been involved in these conversations all along the way. The fact is, there’s plenty of Senate Democrats that want to vote with Republicans to open the government back up. What they can’t do is get past their leader. They elected Chuck Schumer to be the leader of the Democrat party in the Senate, and he is literally scared to death of his own elections coming up in 2028… this is what happens when you have a career politician who’s been in office longer than I’ve been out of high school, and he continues to be worried about his next election cycle, in this case, afraid of AOC.”
Mullin argued that if Senator Schumer allowed a vote among Democrats without restrictions, reopening the government could happen quickly. He remarked, “If [Schumer] would just simply let his members vote the way they want to… we can reopen the government in two and a half hours, just like that. And for everybody, all these left reporters, that are concerned about the way that President Trump is going to operate the government, well, keep in mind, the Democrats are the ones that shut it down. They knew when they do that, they secede the power that Congress has to the President of the United States to make sure that he is still taking care of the American people and taking care of the priorities.”
Addressing concerns about political motivations behind recent decisions by Democrats regarding a potential shutdown and its effects on future elections, Mullin said: “If they were concerned the way that he was going to handle it, Harris, they would just not ever went to a shutdown. So it’s kind of one of these things that you got thinking, ‘Well, which one are you concerned about, your reelection or the American people that you talk about,’ and all they’re doing is talking about it. They’re not actually concerned about it.”
Mullin also discussed legislative proposals related to healthcare access for undocumented immigrants: “What has happened here is that Chucky Schumer is going to the floor, and either he is lying, flat out lying to the American people or he’s not running his team that’s drawing up policy… Because without question it’s easy to see that they strike language out of One Big Beautiful Bill… What One Big Beautiful Bill did is say you’re not eligible for taxpayer health care anymore.”
The senator sought to clarify public confusion regarding federal benefit payments during a shutdown: “A lot of them are confused about Medicare Medicaid and Social Security payments. First of all keep in mind Medicare Medicaid and Social Security payments are mandatory spending. We’re fighting over discretionary spending so two separate buckets. There is no disruption of Medicaid Medicare or Social Security payments.”
Regarding pay for military personnel and federal employees during this period Mullin explained: “And then you have those who have their loved ones in military want[ing] to know if their paychecks went out… Yes all their paychecks went out on first October… All federal employees got paid yesterday… What’s going be issue if Democrats refuse open government continue hold American people hostage political purposes come 15th 16th October there won’t any money there for paychecks go out… When explain people understand it.”
Finally addressing party unity Mullin commented: “…the Speaker and Leader Thune which are great leaders for Republican Party we’re all walking together with White House I mean we locked together Republican Party one body walking together same boat rowing same direction for American people.”
