White House criticizes Schumer for saying continued shutdown is ‘better’ for Democrats

The White House criticized Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for making a “disgusting and revealing” comment about the ongoing shutdown.

Schumer spoke with Punchbull Newsan outlet based in Washington, D.C., said that as the shutdown continues, things continue to get better for Democrats.

“Every day gets better for us,” Schumer reportedly told Punchbowl News. “That’s because we thought about this for a long time, and we knew that health care was going to be the focal point on September 30, and we prepared for that… Their whole theory was – they threaten us, they trick us, we will give up in a day or two.”

GOP blames Schumer for shutdown to appease ‘Marxist wing’ amid buzz of AOC’s primary challenge

Republicans blamed Schumer for the shutdown, saying it was aimed at appeasing the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, particularly in his home state where Zahran Mamdani maintains the lead in the New York City mayoral race and buzz swirls over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., potentially challenging Schumer in the upcoming primary. She has not officially announced her candidacy for the Senate.

“Chuck Schumer just said the quiet part out loud: Democrats are happily inflicting pain on the American people for their drive to give illegal aliens free health care,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement provided exclusively to Fox News Digital.

“Workers are missing paychecks, travelers are missing flights, businesses are struggling, and military families are forced to rely on food pantries; but for Chuck Schumer, this means ‘every day gets better.'” Jackson added: “No matter what Chuck Schumer thinks, Americans’ suffering is not good and Democrats must stop inflicting this pain on them and reopen the government.” now”.

In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Schumer’s office sent an excerpt of his remarks on the Senate floor.

“Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, it gets worse for Americans — and it becomes clearer who’s fighting for them. Every day, our case for health care reform and ending this shutdown gets better and better and stronger and stronger as families open their letters explaining how much their insurance premiums will go up if Republicans get their way. They realize why this fight is important — it’s about “By protecting their healthcare, their bank accounts and their future.” He said.

Blame Game: Republicans call on Schumer to force shutdown ‘because he’s terrified’ by AOC’s primary challenge

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt also took issue with Schumer saying the shutdown was good for Democrats.

“As federal employees grieve over the loss of paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports across the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats brag that ‘every day gets better’ for them. What a disgusting and revealing statement. Democrats delight in inflicting pain on the American people,” Leavitt wrote on X.

The White House said on Wednesday that it would intensify the consequences of the closure.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has rolled out plans that do not guarantee that federal workers currently furloughed from the shutdown will receive back wages — upending a 2019 law passed by President Donald Trump’s first administration in the wake of a 35-day shutdown, Fox News Digital has learned.

The threat that furloughed workers will fail to receive back wages raises the stakes every day that Congress fails to pass a funding measure — and puts greater pressure on Democrats as Trump continues to accuse them of creating the crisis.

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Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy, Deirdre Heavey and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.