Local politicians, such as Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, were quick to condemn the government shutdown in the early morning hours of Oct. 1.
The federal government shut down as lawmakers failed to reach an agreement over money. All the while, President Donald Trump has threatened mass layoffs for federal workers.
For weeks, Democrats have been pushing for changes related to health care policies, such as the reversal of Medicaid cuts and the extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies. Republicans have continued to push a stopgap solution to keep funding at existing levels through Nov. 21.
During a government shutdown, “essential” government services like the U.S. Postal Service remain open and functional, while those deemed “non-essential,” such as national parks, close or cut funding.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Secretary of Health and Human Services nomination on Jan. 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Thousands of federal employees are set to be furloughed. Some federal employees, like air traffic controllers, are expected to continue working – without pay throughout the shutdown – until the government is funded again.
Many New England officials and leaders, including governors and senators, have expressed their dismay.
What Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said
Warren posted a video message to X, formerly Twitter, after the government shutdown on Oct. 1, in which she called Republicans in Congress “spineless.”
“They would rather make health care more expensive for millions of Americans because their pretend king wants them to, rather than keep the government open,” Warren said in the video.
She said Democrats will keep working on a deal that “doesn’t jack up health care costs and run our health care system into the ground.”
What Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey said
At around 11 p.m. on Sept. 30, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey posted a statement to Facebook saying, “In an hour the federal government will shut down because of Trump and MAGA Republicans. We must be relentless in our defense of health care for millions of Americans.”
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-MA-1
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Democrat representing the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts, said in an X post that all three of his offices, which are in Pittsfield, Springfield and Washington, DC, remain open to assist constituents.
“If you have questions about the impact of the government shutdown or need assistance with a federal agency, please contact any of my three offices,” Neal wrote.
He also linked to a government shutdown resource guide on his website.
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-MA-2
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District of Massachusetts, posted a “Shutdown FAQ” page to his website to guide constituents through any uncertainty.
“An extreme MAGA shutdown will have serious impacts across the nation, hurting working families, damaging our economy, and endangering our security,” McGovern wrote on the webpage.
He also listed the different agencies that would be affected by the shutdown.
U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-MA-3
U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat representing the 3rd Congressional District of Massachusetts, posted on social media that she was in Washington, D.C., before the shutdown, “fighting to protect the [health] care every American deserves.”
“At a time when working families are already being crushed by the rising cost of groceries, housing, and gas, Republicans are making health care unaffordable too,” Trahan said in the post.
U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-MA-4
U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat representing the state’s 4th Congressional District, posted a link on X to an interview he did with WBUR regarding the shutdown.
“Give cops & community health centers what they need to protect public health & safety,” he wrote on the post.
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-MA-5
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, a Democrat representing the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts, posted a video from the Capitol before the shutdown.
In the video, she said, “American people deserve health care that they can afford, and that’s the fight we’re in.”
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-MA-6
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat representing the state’s 6th Congressional District, said he will defer his congressional salary until the government shutdown ends. He sent the request in a letter to Catherine Szpindor, Chief Administrative Officer at the U.S. House of Representatives, on Oct. 1.
“I represent thousands of federal employees, government contractors, and their families in Massachusetts who will be furloughed or deemed essential and required to work without pay. Washington’s dysfunction is unacceptable. Until both parties come to the table, do their job, and reopen the government, Members of Congress should not receive pay,” read part of the letter. “Please withhold my net pay until an appropriations agreement has taken effect and the shutdown has ended.”
“If we can’t be counted on to keep the government open, then we shouldn’t collect a paycheck while dedicated public servants suffer the consequences,” Moulton wrote in a post on X.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-MA-7
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat representing the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts, blamed Trump and Republicans for the shutdown.
“Donald Trump and his Republican co-conspirators continue to demonstrate contempt for the people and advance harmful policies that make people hungrier, poorer, sicker, and less safe,” she said in a statement on Facebook.
U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-MA-8
U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, a Democrat representing the state’s 8th Congressional District, posted on Facebook on Sept. 30, saying, “I will always fight for you and work to fund critical healthcare programs that affect every single American.”
On Oct. 1, Lynch wrote on Facebook that constituents could visit his website for up-to-date information on the shutdown.
More: Federal government shutdown closes visitors center at Cape Cod National Seashore
U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-MA-9
U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, a Democrat representing the state’s 9th Congressional District, posted a statement on Sept. 29, warning of an “unprecedented health care crisis caused by Donald Trump and the House GOP.”
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Massachusetts Senators, Representatives react to government shutdown
