Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Friday sharply rebuked congressional Democrats, telling Newsmax they’ve said the quiet part out loud by using veterans and working families as political leverage to extend the federal government shutdown — a move he called both “sickening” and “hypocritical.”
“It’s really sad that we’ve come to this point in time where they actually use people and veterans as leverage,” Collins said on “National Report.” “They could open back up the government — they choose not to. They’re using people as leverage.”
Collins pointed directly to comments by Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who acknowledged that Democrats are blocking a reopening despite Republican control of Congress and the White House. Collins said the admission underscored what he called “the hypocrisy” of the left’s shutdown narrative.
“Well, the problem is he well knows the filibuster stops that in the Senate. He just admitted, as they all do,” Collins continued. “It’s sickening that they could open back up the government. They choose to use people as leverage.”
The secretary said the partisan gridlock is hurting veterans nationwide, noting that more than 1.2 million veterans will be cut off from essential SNAP assistance beginning Saturday due to the impasse.
Democrats “claim to love veterans, but yet they do this to our veterans who are out trying to struggle and make a living,” he said. “How do they do this? By cutting off 1.2 million veterans from SNAP assistance that they need.”
Collins reserved particular outrage for House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., citing her recent remark that the shutdown “will be painful for families, but they’re our leverage.”
“Since when did they become hostage holders to the American people?” Collins asked. “That’s what’s happening.”
The VA chief praised Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., for revealing the political stalemate’s roots, noting Fetterman admitted to voting repeatedly for “the Joe Biden CR.”
“Think about that,” Collins said. “It’s not the Republicans’ CR — they’re just continuing the Biden CR. If Democrats were so concerned, where were they six months ago?”
As the shutdown drags on, Collins said the VA continues working to protect critical veteran services but warned that Democrat obstruction is directly undermining those efforts.
“I’d like them to look some of my veterans in the eye and tell them they’re leverage,” he said.
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