East Twin Cities

Congressman Pete Stauber, who represents Minnesota’s 8th district in the U.S. Congress, issued a statement following the government shutdown that resulted after Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, blocked the passage of H.R. 5371.

Stauber said, “Two weeks ago, House Republicans did our job and voted for a clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution to keep the government open. Sadly, Democrats in Congress are holding government funding hostage in an attempt to force the American taxpayer to fund a $1.5 trillion partisan wish list that includes free taxpayer funded healthcare benefits for illegal aliens, $500 million for liberal media outlets like NPR, climate and DEI initiatives in foreign countries, and a $50 billion cut from rural health. To prioritize healthcare for illegal immigrants over healthcare for American citizens in rural areas shows just how out of touch the Democrat party has become.”

He continued, “Ensuring our government remains open and working for the American people is not a partisan issue, and it is sad that the Democrats have made it one. In 2024, Chuck Schumer stated that a shutdown would mean chaos and pain for the American people. I’d urge Senator Schumer and his fellow Democrats to remember his own words because the American people deserve better than this hypocrisy. They deserve better than a Schumer shutdown.”

Stauber has served in Congress since 2019 after replacing Rick Nolan. Before joining Congress, he was part of the St. Louis County Commission from 2013 to 2019. Stauber was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1966 and currently lives in Hermantown. He graduated from Lake Superior State University with a bachelor’s degree in 1990.