{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-capito-op-ed-keeping-the-government-open-shouldnt-be-a-partisan-fight", "ICYMI: Capito Op-Ed: Keeping the Government Open Shouldn\u2019t be a Partisan Fight", "2025-10-08", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "WV", "Shelley Moore Capito", "C001047", "www.capito.senate.gov", "capito", "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In an op-ed published in Ogden Newspapers across West Virginia, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called for Democrats to stop playing political games and work with Republicans to fund the government and return to regular order.\n\nThe full op-ed is available here and below.\n\nKeeping the Government Open Shouldn\u2019t be a Partisan Fight\n\nBy: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)\n\nWheeling Intelligencer\n\nParkersburg News & Sentinel\n\nMartinsburg Journal\n\nWeirton Daily Times\n\nThe Inter-Mountain\n\nOctober 8, 2025\n\nAs a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of my primary responsibilities is ensuring that our government is responsibly funded so it remains open and working for the people we represent, including the hardworking West Virginians.\n\nThat\u2019s why I\u2019m deeply disappointed to see Washington once again stumble into a completely avoidable government shutdown \u2014 this time because Senate Democrats have refused to join Republicans in supporting a commonsense, short-term measure that would keep the government open.\n\nLet\u2019s be clear about what this measure\u2013known as a continuing resolution\u2013is designed to do. It is a straightforward bridge to maintain government operations while Congress finishes the work of passing our annual appropriations bills through regular order, the way we used to do it.\n\nMembers of the Appropriations Committee, including myself, have worked diligently and in good faith this year to return to that process. The Senate has already passed three bipartisan appropriations bills, and five more have cleared committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. That\u2019s progress, and it\u2019s proof that responsible legislating is still possible in a divided Congress.\n\nIn order to complete the job, we need time. That\u2019s exactly what the short-term funding bill would provide: a responsible way to prevent disruption, while giving us room to finish our work.\n\nRather than joining us in doing the right thing for all Americans, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have made a political calculation. At the direction of Chuck Schumer, Democrats are choosing to appease their far-left base \u2013 demanding non-germane policy riders that would spend $1.5 trillion and allow free health care for non-citizens. The result? The government is now shuttered, and hardworking families across the country\u2013including in West Virginia\u2013are paying the price.\n\nGovernment shutdowns have tangible, painful consequences for real people.\n\nIn West Virginia, we have the third-highest number of federal employees per capita in the country. These are our neighbors and friends\u2013people who keep our miners safe, process veterans\u2019 benefits, secure our borders, and keep drugs out of our communities. They\u2019re now facing uncertainty about their paychecks through no fault of their own.\n\nSmall businesses waiting on federal permits or loans will see further delays. Families who rely on essential services could be forced into limbo. Even those planning to visit our state\u2019s beautiful public lands will feel the effects as national parks and recreational areas curtail operations.\n\nWhile the political games continue in Washington, certain programs are running out of funds to provide critical services \u2013 such as USDA\u2019s Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children \u2013 which helps put food on the table for our must vulnerable populations.\n\nThe good news is that there\u2019s still a way out. We will continue offering opportunities to reopen the government. Last week, we voted four times to reopen the government. Unfortunately \u2013 Senate Democrats objected all four times, but we will continue giving them opportunities to join us in doing the right thing.\n\nThis shouldn\u2019t be a partisan fight. In fact, many Democrats already voted for this same approach under President Biden and Majority Leader Schumer\u2013thirteen times, to be exact. The only difference now is politics.\n\nRegular order allows members of both parties to weigh in on priorities, cut waste, and make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. That\u2019s how it should work. This year, we\u2019ve been making progress toward restoring that process. However, when one side decides to weaponize shutdown politics, that progress grinds to a halt. It undermines confidence in Congress, frustrates the American people, and distracts from the real work of governing.\n\nWest Virginians expect their elected representatives to approach problems with common sense and cooperation\u2013not political theater. They expect accountability, transparency, and a functioning government that reflects their values.\n\nThat\u2019s what the continuing resolution would provide. It would keep the government open, while giving Congress time to finish appropriations bills responsibly. Democrats\u2019 decision to repeatedly reject this resolution has instead brought us to a Senseless Schumer Shutdown.\n\nI will continue working to reopen the government and complete the appropriations process through regular order. I urge my Democratic colleagues to stop the political games, join us at the table, and do what the American people sent us to Washington to do: govern responsibly.\n\nThe American people deserve a functioning government. Let\u2019s end this shutdown, get back to work, and deliver results worthy of the trust our constituents place in us.\n\n---\n\nU.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, and also serves on the Commerce, Environment & Public Works as chairman, and Rules Committees. Capito also serves as the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, the 4th ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-capito-op-ed-keeping-the-government-open-shouldnt-be-a-partisan-fight"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9694378823041916, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}