As the federal government shutdown entered its sixth day, the White House intensified its criticism of Democrats, accusing them of “playing political games” and warning that millions of federal employees, including U.S. military personnel, could miss their next paycheck if the impasse continues.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during the press briefing on October 6, 2025, in Washington DC, said “Democrats unfortunately, are continuing to play political games, and we are now in day six of the Democrat federal government shutdown,” adding, “Millions of American federal workers are under enormous financial stress as a result, wondering how they will pay their bills and take care of their families. If the Democrats do not vote to open the government tonight, federal workers will not receive their next full paycheck.”
Leavitt cautioned that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is also at risk of running out of federal funds. The program provides vouchers for essential food items such as infant formula, fruits, and vegetables for low-income families. She claimed that the program “can be easily fully funded if Democrats simply vote tonight to reopen the government.”
According to Leavitt, the Republican-backed “clean and nonpartisan funding bill” would fully fund the WIC program, ensure pay for U.S. troops, and reopen the government. “Our incredible military service members who risk their lives to preserve and defend our country are now working without pay and will miss their next paychecks if this Democrat shutdown does not end tonight,” she said.
The U.S. Senate was expected to hold its fifth vote on October 6 in an attempt to pass a funding bill to end the shutdown. “All we need are an additional five Democrat senators to end this madness and vote for the clean funding bill to reopen the government,” Leavitt said, urging viewers to contact Democratic senators to “do the right thing and end this shutdown.”
Continuing her criticism, Leavitt alleged that “the sad truth” is that Democrats intentionally caused the shutdown “to try and demand free health care for illegal aliens.” She added, “This is an indefensible and truly radical policy to be in favor of, let alone to use as the primary reason to shut down the United States government.”
She accused Democrats and their allies of “desperately lying about their true motivations,” asserting that “House Republicans passed a clean and nonpartisan funding bill to keep the government open and ensure our troops and other hard-working Americans are paid.”
Leavitt stated that all but one House Democrat voted against the Republican bill and that Senate Republicans have attempted to pass the same measure four times. “The President is ready to sign this bill to reopen the government as soon as it is sent to his desk,” she said, adding that only three Senate Democrats have supported the proposal so far.
According to Leavitt, the Democrats’ current position is that the government can reopen only if “illegal aliens can get free health care.”
She claimed, “Their funding proposal would result in nearly $200 billion spent on health care for illegal aliens and other non-citizens over the next decade,” adding “To put this in perspective, $200 billion is enough money to fund the entire Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to low-income children and women.”
She further argued that under the Democratic proposal, individuals who were “improperly granted asylum and paroled under the Biden administration” would again be eligible for Medicaid benefits.
“It does not end there,” she continued. “The Democrat proposal would also require Medicaid to pay more for emergency care provided to illegal aliens than it does for American patients who are disabled, elderly, or children.”
Leavitt concluded by stating that Democrats “closed the government, costing Americans their jobs, threatening America’s military readiness, harming the country’s economy, and causing chaos.”
She said Democrats are prioritizing “illegal aliens first and Americans last,” asserting, “This is the reality we are unfortunately facing right now in Washington, D.C. President Trump and Republicans will not give in to these radical demands.”
She added that President Trump and the Republican Party have a “sacred responsibility” to serve and protect “the instant interests of their constituents, the American people.”
