Florida Parish News

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show to address the ongoing government shutdown, attributing the impasse to what he described as partisan demands from Democrats. Scalise called on constituents to contact their Democratic Senators and encourage them to vote for the House Republicans’ continuing resolution (CR), which he noted maintains the same spending levels that Democrats supported in March.

During the interview, Scalise challenged Democratic leaders' claims regarding health care provisions for undocumented immigrants. “Chuck Schumer decided he wanted to shut the government down. In doing so, he didn't just vote ‘no’ on that bill. He filed an alternative bill, and the bill includes a trillion and a half dollars in new spending. You can go read his bill. Part of what he does in his bill is he takes away, repeals the verifications on illegals getting free health care. So on one hand, they'll point to the law and go, don't worry, the law says illegals can't get free health care. But in the bill that Chuck Schumer is demanding that we pass to open the government up, he repeals the verifications. It's like saying you've got a nightclub and you can only get in if you're 21 years old, but then Chuck Schumer passes a law and says you can't check ID. Well, guess what? Anybody who walks up to the door and says, ‘I want to be let in,’ you've got to let them in.

“It's why, by the way, the estimates say, illegals will get about $100 billion of your tax money in government health care. That's in his alternative bill. He filed it. You can go read it. Why did he include it in is I think a fair question. But the problem is Chuck Schumer put that in his bill.”

Scalise also commented on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s relationship with progressive members of his party: “Well, you can see the pressure building because obviously, the far left has gotten Chuck Schumer doing their bidding right now, and that's what it's about. The far left, the Socialists in their party that are about to elect Mamdani, want a fight with Donald Trump. They don't care what it's about. Schumer is doing what they want because he's afraid of AOC in New York. Well, think about if you're a Democrat senator from a state that's not New York, and you are now caught up in this New York proxy fight, and the whole government is being held hostage over it. Troops will not be paid in a few days if they still keep playing this game. Other federal employees, the same thing.”

On resolving the shutdown situation, Scalise stated: “All we need is five more Democrats. We've gotten three so far. Five more Democrats need to end this madness. It is a mad game. It's insanity when you think of why Chuck Schumer has shut the government down to gut rural hospital funding, to give health care to illegals. But ultimately, five Democrats in the Senate need to vote for that bill and the government's back open again. I hope it'll happen. We don't need to be in this position.

“It shouldn't have happened. But the Democrats have done it. They're voting to continue the shutdown. John Thune is going to bring them back in on Monday, and they're going to have another opportunity. So people, if you're represented by a Democrat senator, call your Democrat senator and say, ‘Look, just vote to open the government up.’”

Scalise concluded by accusing Democrats of political maneuvering at public expense: “Well, there's nothing to trade because ultimately what we passed through the House two weeks ago is a bill that is the same funding level of government that Chuck Schumer himself voted for just back in March. So where's the Chuck Schumer from March? Did he get kidnapped by the left and somebody else is there? I don't know. But at the end of the day, Chuck Schumer even voted for these spending levels. They're playing political games with the American people, and I think people are fed up with that.

“We've got differences, obviously on a lot of bills,” Scalise said further regarding appropriations negotiations currently underway between both parties.

Steve Scalise has represented Louisiana’s 1st district since 2008 after replacing Bobby Jindal [source]. Before serving in Congress he was part of both chambers of Louisiana’s state legislature [source]. Born in New Orleans in 1965 [source], Scalise resides today in Jefferson Parish.