The ongoing government shutdown is drawing sharp criticism from military veterans in Congress, directing their ire toward House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the broader Democratic leadership. These veterans are taking a hard stance against lawmakers who continue to receive paychecks while service members face the prospect of unpaid work due to the political stalemate.
Military veterans like Reps. Gabe Evans, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Tom Barrett are publicly condemning Jeffries for failing to defer his salary during this crisis. Their statements highlight a growing frustration among those who have served about the disconnect between legislators and the realities faced by the American people, particularly troops and federal workers.
Rep. Evans, a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, has been particularly vocal. He called Jeffries’ unwillingness to commit to deferring his paycheck an “insult to Americans.” Evans emphasized the impact of the shutdown, stating, “As a former cop and soldier who still lives paycheck to paycheck, I understand firsthand the severity and impact that this Democrat-led shutdown has caused our country to endure.” His declaration carries weight, as it comes from someone who intimately knows the struggles of both military service and making ends meet in everyday life.
Then there’s Rep. Miller-Meeks, who serves as a glaring reminder of the stakes involved. As a retired lieutenant colonel, she explained the severity of the situation: “While 42 million Americans face losing their SNAP benefits and our troops go unpaid, Hakeem Jeffries is still cashing a paycheck.” Her comments underscore the principle that some members of Congress seem insulated from the very consequences they impose on federal employees and Americans in need.
Rep. Barrett further added to the chorus of veterans calling out the hypocrisy of lawmakers who profit while the government remains paralyzed. He stated bluntly, “Hakeem Jeffries is so out of touch that he thinks he should be compensated for shutting down the government and causing the American people to suffer.” Barrett’s words signal deep frustration and a call for accountability among those who have served the country. He insists that the current mindset of “rules for thee and not for me” must change and that legislators need to make a choice between their paychecks and their responsibilities.
The Republican backing of a “clean” Continuing Resolution sets the stage for further contention. Meanwhile, Jeffries’ reluctance to defer salary raises questions about commitment and leadership. When pressed by a CNN host, he hesitated to answer whether he would give up his paycheck, stating instead that he would “have more to say about that shortly.” This kind of equivocation in a time of crisis is what prompted Evans and his colleagues to label such responses as “unserious.”
As the stalemate continues, the portrait painted by veterans in Congress is one of urgent accountability. They are amplifying the voices of those who go unpaid and asking why public servants should profit while their peers face hardships. The divide between lawmakers and the citizens they serve has never seemed starker as the government shutdown drags on—a drama marked by both political posturing and human cost.
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