Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, on Newsmax Friday accused Senate Democrats of prolonging the government shutdown, urging Congress to “stop playing politics” and pass full-year appropriations bills.
Gonzales, a House Appropriations Committee member and Navy veteran, told “National Report” Republicans in the House had “done our work” by advancing a funding measure and argued Democrats are blocking progress for political gain.
He pointed to constituents in San Antonio who have been furloughed and said his own family once missed pay over the holidays during a previous lapse, underscoring the shutdown’s real-world effects on federal workers.
“Congress needs to do its job,” he said, calling for a return to “regular order” and votes on conservative spending bills.
Gonzales also praised President Donald Trump for moves he said would ensure active-duty troops are paid during the funding gap and noted that Border Patrol and other Department of Homeland Security agents are slated to receive pay despite the lapse.
Democrats, he argued, should allow votes to move individual appropriations bills to reopen shuttered parts of the government rather than holding out for broader concessions.
“Come do your job. Pass this bill,” he said.
The standoff reflects a broader fight over whether to pass a comprehensive agreement or move a series of individual spending measures.
Senate Democrats this week blocked a stand-alone Pentagon funding bill, arguing that piecemeal votes undercut leverage for a bipartisan deal to reopen the entire government and address unrelated priorities.
Meanwhile, under long-standing shutdown rules, many federal workers are furloughed without pay and “excepted” employees — such as active-duty service members and certain law enforcement officers — continue working, typically receiving back pay after Congress resolves the lapse.
The House and Senate traditionally pass 12 annual appropriations bills that fund the government each fiscal year or a short-term continuing resolution to buy time for negotiations.
In recent years, missed deadlines have become more frequent, increasing reliance on stopgaps and raising the risk of shutdowns that ripple through agencies, contractors and local economies.
Gonzalez said the immediate path forward is for Democrats to allow votes on appropriations already teed up in the House, contending that doing so would restore momentum toward a full funding agreement and end the impasse for furloughed workers and military families alike.
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