Louisiana leaders react to federal government shutdown

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) -- Louisiana leaders voiced concerns for residents and blamed each political party as a federal government shutdown began after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement.

Vice President J.D. Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) accused Democrats of causing the shutdown, comparing it to a hostage situation.

"Democrats are holding the American government HOSTAGE so they can give FREE health care to ILLEGAL ALIENS and force $1.5 TRILLION in new partisan spending demands," Johnson said.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the shutdown, telling Democrats that they ought to get "prepared to deal with the mud." He said Republicans wanted to keep the current budget and avoid a shutdown until before Thanksgiving for time to negotiate a permanent budget.

"We did that many times when President Biden was president, and when the Democrats had the majority. In fact, we did it 13 times...But this time the Democrats have said no, no, no, no, no. We want more," Kennedy said.

Attorney General Liz Murill (R-La.) joined other attorneys general in a letter before the shutdown, urging the U.S. Senate to pass a short-term continuing resolution. They acknowledged that a continuing resolution is not ideal, but said it would be a responsible action to allow funding for paying federal workers, grants and Social Security.

"Democrats need to stop holding the taxpayers hostage. They’re demanding trillions of taxpayer dollars to pay for policies Americans don’t want and overwhelmingly rejected on November 5, 2024, when President Donald Trump was elected," Murrill said.

Like Kennedy, the attorneys general also pointed to the 13 extensions Congress passed during the Biden administration.

Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.), Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) voiced concerns for how people in Louisiana would be impacted negatively by a shutdown.

Fields said he aims to serve Louisiana residents in his district, adding that he is "extremely disappointed" with President Donald Trump's reluctance to work with Democrats.

"After extensive deliberation, I cannot support the current Republican proposal that would put 22 million hardworking Americans at risk of losing their healthcare," Fields said. "Working families should not bear the burden of political disagreements, and I believe we need continued dialogue to reach a better outcome."

Carter denied that Democrats are at fault, saying fiercely in a statement Tuesday night, “I want to be crystal clear about why we are at risk of a government shutdown: Republicans control the House. Republicans control the Senate. Republicans control the White House. This shutdown is entirely of their making."

He added that Republicans "chose chaos" after choosing not to negotiate or create a bipartisan agreement. “This shutdown isn’t just a political crisis — it’s a human one. People will lose access to care. Small towns will lose their hospitals. Patients will wait longer, pay more, and suffer because Republican leadership chose political games over people's lives," Carter said.

Cassidy's U.S. Senate floor speech before the shutdown addressed the impacts on the 500,000 Louisiana residents who rely on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). During a shutdown, the NFIP cannot renew policies. Like other Republican leaders, he placed blame on Democrats.

“If Democrats would stop trying to please the fringe of their party and start focusing on the real, immediate needs of the American people—like keeping the government open, maintaining flood insurance, and protecting access to rural health care—we could solve this today,” Cassidy said.

Letlow echoed concerns for people, saying, "While we are awaiting further information on agency closures, there will likely be consequences for our military families, farmers, and federal employees, as well as Louisianans dependent on the National Flood Insurance Program." She offers resources to her constituents on her website.

Carter and other lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday night to reauthorize the NFIP through Nov. 21. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple suggested that people with a pending policy application or renewal contact their agent to confirm coverage information.

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