U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) appeared on Fox News’ “Faulkner Focus” to discuss the ongoing government shutdown and criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats for what he described as unreasonable demands related to immigration policy.
During the interview, Mullin stated, “I’m also on the Appropriations Committee so I’ve been involved in these conversations all along the way. The fact is, there’s plenty of Senate Democrats that want to vote with Republicans to open the government back up. What they can’t do is get past their leader. They elected Chuck Schumer to be the leader of the Democrat party in the Senate, and he is literally scared to death of his own elections coming up in 2028… this is what happens when you have a career politician who’s been in office longer than I’ve been out of high school, and he continues to be worried about his next election cycle, in this case, afraid of AOC.”
Mullin argued that if Schumer allowed Democratic senators a free vote, “we can reopen the government in two and a half hours, just like that.” He added that concerns about how President Trump would manage a shutdown are misplaced because “the Democrats are the ones that shut it down. They knew when they do that, they secede the power that Congress has to the President of the United States to make sure that he is still taking care of the American people and taking care of the priorities.”
Addressing questions about whether Democrats are more focused on reelection than governance, Mullin said: “If they were concerned the way that he was going to handle it, Harris, they would just not ever went to a shutdown. So, it’s kind of one of these things that you got thinking, ‘Well, which one are you concerned about, your reelection, or the American people that you talk about,’ and all they’re doing is talking about it. They’re not actually concerned about it.”
On health care for undocumented immigrants under recent legislation proposals, Mullin commented: “What has happened here is that Chucky Schumer is going to the floor, and either he is lying, flat out lying to the American people, or he’s not running his team that’s drawing the policy up. So, either he knows the truth or he’s not listening to what’s actually being written.” He further explained: “Because without question, it’s easy to see that they strike the language out of the One Big Beautiful Bill that doesn’t allow those that came in to this country illegal… He just did it by an executive order. What the One Big Beautiful Bill did is say you’re not eligible for taxpayer health care anymore.”
Mullin also addressed public confusion over entitlement programs during a shutdown: “A lot of them are confused about Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security payments. First of all keep in mind Medicare Medicaid and Social Security payments are mandatory spending. We’re fighting over discretionary spending so two separate buckets. There is no disruption of Medicaid Medicare or Social Security payments.”
Regarding military members’ paychecks during a shutdown scenario Mullin stated: “And then you have those who have their loved ones who are in military want know if their paychecks went out Yes all their paychecks went out on first October They got paid full All federal employees got paid yesterday What’s going be issue if Democrats refuse open government continue hold American people hostage for their political purposes come 15th 16th October there won’t any money there for paychecks go out So when explain people they understand it”
He concluded by emphasizing Republican unity: “…the Speaker and Leader Thune which are great leaders for Republican Party we’re all walking together with White House I mean we are locked together The Republican Party are one body walking together same boat rowing same direction for American people”
Senator Mullin regularly provides updates through social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram Facebook TikTok
