The GOP has sounded the alarm.
A Republican lawmaker is raising the alarm about the dangerous impact of the Biden-Schumer government shutdown on America’s military.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), a decorated war veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan, sent a direct letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday. In it, Mast warned that servicemembers on temporary duty assignments are being pulled back early because of the shutdown. These missions—focused on training and specialized support—are being cut short, wasting taxpayer money and undermining military readiness.
Mast stressed that the financial waste is staggering. Daily per diem costs for service members on these assignments can range from $178 to more than $1,000. That means missions ending unfinished are burning through tax dollars with nothing to show for it.
“This is an irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars and a disservice to our troops,” Mast wrote. Speaking to Fox News Digital, he added: “Not only is this Democrat shutdown wasting money, it’s wasting the valuable time of America’s servicemen and women.”
The government officially shut down at midnight Tuesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach agreement on a federal funding package. This is the first shutdown in seven years—the last occurring in 2018, when Democrats blocked President Trump’s border security plan.
Now, Democrats are once again pointing fingers. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is accusing Republicans of “refusing to protect healthcare” by opposing an extension of Obamacare subsidies. But Republicans warn those subsidies will funnel taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants at the expense of American families.
Conservatives argue Schumer is not negotiating in good faith. Instead, they believe he’s playing political games to protect himself from a potential progressive challenger, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
“Chuck Schumer is driving Democrats off a cliff,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Fox Business. “He’s desperate for approval from the far-left. He knows he could face a challenge from AOC or someone just like her, and he’s putting his political survival above America’s security.”
For Republicans, the shutdown is a direct example of failed Democrat leadership. They say it hurts military readiness, wastes taxpayer dollars, and proves once again that Democrats put politics ahead of the nation.