On the 19th day of the ongoing government shutdown, Congressman Burgess Owens of Utah’s 4th District published an opinion piece in Deseret News, criticizing Senate Democrats for what he calls the “Schumer Shutdown.” Owens urged Senate Democrats to pass a House-approved short-term continuing resolution to end the closure.
In his op-ed, Owens stated, “Now in day 19 of the ‘Schumer Shutdown,’ Democrats have once again exposed their contempt for the American people. It is a contempt that has, for generations, led to the treatment of their own constituents as collateral damage. It is one of indifference fed by an insatiable desire for political power.”
He cited recent remarks from Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer as evidence that Democrats are unwilling to end the shutdown. Owens wrote, “Democrats are openly admitting that they will not end the government shutdown, even if ‘planes are falling out of the sky’ due to air traffic controller shortages. Sen. Bernie Sanders recently said, ‘If we open the government, we’ll lose our leverage.’ Sen. Chuck Schumer went even further, boasting that ‘every day gets better for us’ during the shutdown.”
Owens highlighted specific effects on Utah’s economy and residents: “Each week the government is shut down, our state loses an estimated $157 million in economic activity, with small businesses waiting on nearly $60 million in frozen loans and contractors facing more than $178 million in stalled federal projects. For 2,400 seniors who still receive their Social Security checks by mail, those payments might be delayed.”
He continued by addressing impacts on military families and federal employees: “For our military families, air traffic controllers and the more than 40,000 federal employees across Utah, ‘every day gets better’ rings hollow as the uncertainty of missed paychecks takes its toll.”
The congressman argued that Democratic leaders were using political leverage at citizens’ expense: “The ‘leverage’ that Schumer and Sanders brag about translates into real hardship: missed paychecks, delayed projects and financial strain for middle-class workers. Even worse, the Office of Management and Budget has begun permanent reductions in the federal workforce to offset the growing costs of the shutdown. The long-standing policy of guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends is now being reconsidered. Long predicted, this ‘permanent reduction in force’ would devastate families across the country who depend on these jobs. Sadly, this was preventable.”
Owens said House Republicans passed a measure intended to keep operations running: “House Republicans passed a clean, nonpartisan plan to keep the government open, protect American jobs and ensure stability for families, seniors and service members. Yet Democrats…blocked it in the Senate.” He accused Senate Democrats of prioritizing spending increases over responsible governance.
Drawing parallels with previous shutdowns and immigration debates—including DACA—Owens contended that Democratic strategies have been inconsistent: “We witnessed this same strategy during the 2018 shutdown…At that time…Democrats held the government hostage in exchange for blanket protections for 700,000 individuals.” He claimed President Trump had offered a compromise which was rejected by Democrats.
Owens criticized current Democratic priorities: “For anyone paying attention…Perhaps these Dreamers are simply…ignored once politically inconvenient.”
He concluded with a warning about broader consequences: “President Trump’s America First agenda rebuilt our economy…The shutdown threatens to undo it all.” He urged that Americans should not be used as bargaining chips.
Burgess Owens has served as U.S. Representative from Utah’s 4th District since 2021 after succeeding Ben McAdams (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/O000172). Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1951 and now residing in Salt Lake City at age 71 (https://www.deseret.com/2020/10/23/21530168/burgess-owens-republican-utah-congress-mc-adams-district-4-election-candidate), Owens graduated from University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974.
