Chairman Pfluger Joins Leadership Press Conference: Democrats Replace JFK's Call to Service with "Who Can We LEVERAGE for Our Agenda?"
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Day 28 of the Democrat shutdown, Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Leadership in a press conference calling out congressional Democrats for using struggling Americans as political leverage during the shutdown orchestrated by Democrats.
The press conference featured RSC members who have heard loud and clear from their constituents on how the Democrat shutdown is impacting servicemembers, military families, and federal employees in their respective districts. As paychecks and essential nutrition benefits hang in the balance for millions of Americans, Democrats have continued their streak of voting for a government shutdown—thirteen times and counting.
Chairman Pfluger, a 20+ year fighter pilot and Air Force Reservist, drew a stark contrast between President John F. Kennedy’s call to service and today's Democrat Party under Leader Schumer and Whip Clark, who admitted their party will allow American families to suffer because it's one of the few “leverage times” they have. Pfluger warned that while Democrats use American families as political pawns, our adversaries abroad are watching and calculating how to exploit the division.
With deployed soldiers at risk of facing lost paychecks again on Friday, critical military training cancelled, and Commanders distracted from their mission while worrying about troop families, Chairman Pfluger's message was clear: “Our enemy has not shut down, our enemy wants us divided, and it's time to end this manufactured crisis.”
Read RSC Chairman Pfluger’s remarks as prepared below:
On the Current State of the Democrat Party:
“I think we all know today‘s Democratic Party is not the party of JFK, who once famously said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ Instead, Democrats under Schumer, Clark, and Mamdani are saying: ask not what you can do for your country, but WHO you can leverage for your radical agenda.”
In Response to Whip Clark’s Comments:
“It is really sad to think about what Whip Katherine Clark said last week. She said, ‘Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.’ My colleagues stand for families. The Republican Party stands for families. Because we believe and we know that our greatest asset in this country is the American family. That our country rests on the shoulders of families. That the Republican Party will always advocate for families, that we will look out for families, that we will legislate to prosper families. The family is only a point of leverage for our Democrat colleagues. How sad is that?"
On the Shutdown’s Impacts on Military Families:
“I am thinking about military families right now. I am thinking about that soldier who is deployed around the globe to keep our country safe and push back against the threats. I am thinking about that phone call that soldier probably received in the last couple days asking whether or not they will get a paycheck. Talking about the new baby at home. Trying to figure out if they will be able to pay their rent, or even buy some groceries, or put gas in the car. I was there. I am a veteran. I‘ve been serving on active duty when shutdowns happened. This is a very stressful time for military families. Commanders right now, instead of being focused on the mission, instead of being focused on the threat, instead of being focused on the training and exercises that keep our readiness and lethality at the highest possible levels, now they are focusing all of their attention on making sure that the families of their subordinates, their soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, are taken care of. That they have the resources."
On RSC Members In Their Districts Working With Constituents:
“We have members of the Republican Party who are in our communities right now, convening groups of community leaders, banks, food banks, and other resources, because Schumer has chosen not to pay them. Now, communities are having to take up, with zero percent interest bridge loans. Now, communities are having to defer mortgage payments and car payments. So where the Democrat Party is failing, our communities are succeeding, because they know that the right thing to do is to find and help in this time of need.”
On the National Security Threat Because of the Shutdown:
“The enemy has not shut down. Our enemies around the world want us to be divided. I am calling on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who served in the military to do the right thing. We were there. We were there when Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi put CRs on the floor, and guess what? We did the right thing. Multiple times, we did the right thing. Where are my Democratic colleagues, who served in uniform, to stand up and rise above petty politics, to do the right thing? Have you not gone home to your districts to hear from your communities and military and federal workers? Have you not listened to your local communities telling you to stop the nonsense?“
On Democrats More Interested in Appeasing Their Radical Base:
“You know what, they‘re not there. They're in New York City campaigning for [Zohran] Mamdani. Maybe they orchestrated this so they have the time to campaign for an outright Socialist. This is not the party of JFK anymore. This is the party of Schumer and Mamdani, the party that bows to the radical Left.”
On the Difference Between Republicans and Democrats:
“I hope that everybody can see the split screen of what is happening in this country. The Speaker has so eloquently talked about the fact that Republicans are doing our job to take care of families. Over 13 times, Republicans have voted to fund our military, our TSA, and make sure all federal workers can get paid. And Democrats continue to obstruct. I hope you can see the dichotomy between the two sides here.”
On the Democrat Veterans and Reservists:
“I am calling on Democrat members, especially those who served in the military, to do the right thing and to stop the nonsense.”
In addition to RSC Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11), the press conference was led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), and featured Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06), House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (MI-09), Rep. Stephanie Bice (OK-05), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), and Rep. Craig Goldman (TX-12).