A Massachusetts constituent is calling out Democrat Whip Katherine Clark after the congresswoman admitted that “families are going to suffer” during the government shutdown but defended it as “one of the few leverage times we have.”
In a video statement released Wednesday, Donnarose Russian identified herself as one of Clark’s constituents and addressed the Democrat leader’s handling of the ongoing government shutdown. “Katherine Clark, I don’t know how you can tell these lies to people. I don’t know how you can exploit people. I don’t know how you can use people, good people, children, elderly people, people with disabilities, for your own political gain. Not for the people’s good, not for the people’s sake, for your own sake. You are lying to people, and you know it. You are using people, and you know it. You are dishonest, and you know it. Stop it.”
Her message follows a press release from House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), who denounced Clark’s remarks as “shameful but revealing,” asserting they confirmed Democrats are prioritizing political leverage over the wellbeing of families affected by the shutdown. McClain said Clark’s acknowledgment of “families that are going to suffer” revealed the party’s strategy to use the crisis to advance partisan priorities, including “funding healthcare for illegals” and “promoting LGBT programs abroad.”
McClain emphasized that the ongoing impasse is harming thousands of Massachusetts families as critical programs and projects remain frozen. The press release noted that $240 million in monthly SNAP funding could end by November 1, putting food assistance for 1.1 million residents at risk. The Greater Boston Food Bank has warned that 175,000 residents could lose help immediately. More than 45,000 federal employees across Massachusetts are working without pay, while over 65,000 low-income children and infants could lose access to Head Start programs that depend on federal funding. Infrastructure projects, including $1.72 billion in funding for the Cape Cod bridge replacement, have also been halted.
“What’s shocking isn’t just Clark’s words, it’s the Democrats’ pride in the pain they’re causing,” McClain stated, pointing to remarks from other top Democrats that framed the shutdown as a political opportunity. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently remarked, “Every day gets better for us,” while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) warned that reopening the government could cause Democrats to “lose our leverage.”
The Democrat congresswoman’s comments come as federal workers are lining up at food banks in Washington, DC, and surrounding areas during the ongoing shutdown. A Capital Area Food Bank drive in northern Virginia ran out of supplies within an hour, leaving furloughed government employees waiting for additional deliveries.
Clark has insisted Democrats are not to blame for the shutdown, calling it “preposterous” to suggest otherwise. She argued that President Trump has “used the budget as his private slush fund,” diverting money from education and health care, and contended Democrats are “trying to improve a system that wasn’t working well when the Trump administration began.”
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