EXCLUSIVE — As the Schumer Shutdown drags into its second week, Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) is fiercely sounding the alarm for military families across America, where depending on that steady paycheck means everything.
As a former Air Force officer who served our country with honor, Pfluger knows firsthand the sacrifices our service members make, and he's not holding back on how Democrats' stubborn stance is now forcing troops and their loved ones into heartbreaking hardship, wondering if they can even afford their next meal.
HORRIBLE — Military families are having to wait in line at this GA food bank because Chuck Schumer refuses to open the government.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 10, 2025
Open the government up so we can pay our troops @SenSchumer pic.twitter.com/4XJs7kkx7i
Pfluger's passionate defense comes on the heels of a truly vile statement from a senior Democratic aide, who was quoted saying the party won't budge "short of planes falling out of the sky."
DISGUSTING — CNN reports a Senior Democratic Aide said that until "planes start falling out of the sky," they won't reopen the government.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 10, 2025
This refers to unpaid air traffic controllers not showing up.
They are truly America LAST. pic.twitter.com/Fhc8tJR1zl
It's a comment that's deeply offensive to so many, especially our brave service members who are already going without paychecks, facing missed bills and empty fridges while Democrats play politics.
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I had the chance to jump on an exclusive press call on October 10 with Chairman Pfluger, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La), all former RSC chairs themselves
They didn't did not mince their words: This shutdown isn't about helping everyday Americans—it's about Chuck Schumer's raw fear of his radical base turning on him.
Pfluger, drawing from his own military roots, laid it out starkly: “During [a shutdown] you can’t focus on the mission or the threat..Our commanders today...and quite frankly all of our personelle…are having to focus on whether or not going to be able to make ends meet. Those that are deployed—the stress that they already endure with deployments is now triple, quadruple...because now their spouses are at home, maybe with new babies, wondering if they're going to be able to put food on the table."
He slammed Democrats for voting seven times in the Senate to defund the military and air traffic control, urging the media to grill figures like Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.)—both running for higher office—on why they're turning their backs on patriots. "Where's the political courage?" he demanded.
Speaker Johnson echoed that outrage, painting a picture of Democrats as "modern-day profiles in fear and cowardice." He explained the "why" behind this mess: It's not about policy wins for families or security—it's Schumer's desperation to appease the "most radical elements of their socialist Marxist base" ahead of the "No Kings" nutjob rally.
Johnson pointed out that Democrats are privately nervous, knowing the harm they're causing, but they're too scared of backlash from their far-left flank. "They know there is one party...that has voted to open the government...eight times." he said. “None of them want to feel that same level of heat, so they’re just going along, but they’re privately very nervous.”.
Leader Scalise piled on, calling it a "self-inflicted wound" driven by Schumer's terror of a primary challenge from the left. "He's more concerned about his political career than he is about the fate of families all across this country," Scalise said, noting how a third of military families live paycheck to paycheck. He blasted Democrats for blocking votes to pay troops, TSA agents, and Border Patrol, all while gloating about the chaos.
The Right is united like never before—Johnson even said there's "zero daylight" between President Trump, Senate Republicans, and the House GOP. They're fighting for regular order on appropriations, not omnibus monstrosities, and they passed a clean continuing resolution three weeks ago to buy just seven more weeks. But Democrats are holding out, letting service members suffer, all to score points with radicals who "want to defund the military, and want to defund the police."
This is infuriating to anyone who has seen the suffering among family & service members first hand.
Pfluger closed by challenging Democrats to visit military bases and face the pain they're inflicting: "Ask your Democratic leaders…why are they not going to military bases and truly getting a sense for the pain they’re inflicting? Instead of parading around Washington dc…visit a base.”
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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