Breaking: Sen. Ted Cruz Exposes Alleged Democratic Shutdown Strategy — “They’re Holding Paychecks Hostage for Votes”

By Elena Vasquez, Political Correspondent Washington, D.C. – November 3, 2025

BREAKING: Sen. Ted Cruz just EXPOSED the Democrats’ shutdown game plan “They’re going to wait until after Election Day to reopen the government — Wednesday or Thursday — because they think a shutdown fires up the crazies in their party.” They’re holding paychecks hostage for votes. Absolutely disgraceful.

As the federal government shutdown stretches into its 10th day—disrupting everything from national park access to veterans’ benefits—Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz leveled a explosive accusation Sunday morning on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. The firebrand lawmaker, speaking from his Capitol Hill office amid a phalanx of microphones, claimed Democrats are deliberately prolonging the impasse to galvanize their base ahead of Tuesday’s off-year elections in Virginia and elsewhere. “They’re going to wait until after Election Day to reopen the government—Wednesday or Thursday—because they think a shutdown fires up the crazies in their party,” Cruz thundered, his voice a mix of Texas drawl and prosecutorial edge. “They’re holding paychecks hostage for votes. Absolutely disgraceful.”

Cruz’s remarks, delivered during a segment hosted by Maria Bartiromo, came as the shutdown—triggered October 25 over a Democratic push to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies amid Republican demands for border security funding—enters a critical phase. With 800,000 federal workers furloughed and an estimated $11 billion economic hit projected by the Congressional Budget Office, the timing feels politically charged. Virginia, home to 400,000 federal employees, holds gubernatorial and legislative races that could flip state control to Republicans, potentially influencing 2026 congressional maps. Cruz, a 2013 shutdown veteran who once filibustered for 21 hours over Obamacare, positioned his critique as a warning: Democrats, he argued, are betting outrage among public-sector unions and progressive activists will boost turnout, even as polls show independents souring on the standoff.

The senator’s intel, he claimed, stems from “back-channel briefings” with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who echoed the sentiment Saturday, wagering Democrats might “back down after Tuesday’s elections.” Johnson’s prediction aligns with Cruz’s timeline: A continuing resolution (CR) could pass post-voting, averting deeper cuts. “The Democrats will wait until after the election day,” Cruz reiterated, slamming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for “making it clear they intend to shut down the federal government.” In a nod to irony, Cruz invoked his own 2013 role—then blamed for the 16-day closure—flipping the script: “They hated me for it then; now they’re embracing the Cruz strategy, but with a woke twist.”

Democrats fired back swiftly. Schumer, in a Capitol news conference flanked by furloughed park rangers, called Cruz’s charge “vintage Ted—deflection and demagoguery.” “Republicans engineered this mess to gut health care and slash SNAP benefits,” Schumer retorted, pointing to the CR’s failure on October 31, where 47 Senate Democrats held firm against GOP amendments tying funding to immigration crackdowns. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) amplified on CNN: “This shutdown isn’t politics; it’s cruelty. Federal workers aren’t pawns—we’re fighting for families.” Behind closed doors, however, anxiety simmers. A Democratic strategist, speaking anonymously, admitted the calculus: “Virginia’s feds are pissed, but anger at Trump overrides it. We hold till the votes are in.” Polls bear this out: A November 1 Emerson survey shows Democrats leading Virginia’s gubernatorial race by 4 points, with 62% of federal workers vowing to vote amid the chaos.

The human toll underscores the stakes. In D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood, single mother Maria Gonzalez, a Smithsonian curator on unpaid leave, rationed groceries: “My kids’ lunches are PB&J till payday—thanks, Congress.” Air traffic controllers, deemed essential, worked without hazard pay, sparking FAA delays that grounded 1,200 flights last week. Veterans’ Affairs clinics closed in rural Texas, leaving amputees like Gulf War vet Raul Hernandez without meds. “Cruz talks games; I need my insulin,” Hernandez told ABC News. Economists warn of cascading effects: Moody’s Analytics projects a 0.3% GDP dip if prolonged, with SNAP delays hitting 42 million low-income Americans by Thanksgiving.

Republicans, holding the Senate 53-47 and House 220-215 post-2024, face their own binds. President Trump’s October 20 Bloomberg interview urged an end—”It needs to end now”—but tied it to “winning big” on borders, alienating moderates like Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Cruz, ever the provocateur, rallied the base on X: 2.1 million views for his clip, hashtagged #DemShutdownScam. Allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) co-signed a “Pay Our Military Act” push, blocked by Democrats, to ensure troop paychecks. Yet, intra-GOP fissures emerge: Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) floated a clean CR, drawing Cruz’s ire as “surrender.”

Bipartisan voices plead for compromise. Former President Barack Obama tweeted: “Shutdowns hurt everyone—end this farce before families suffer more.” Fiscal hawks like the Heritage Foundation decry the $6.5 trillion debt ceiling lurch, while progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) rally crowds: “Fight for the vulnerable!” As Election Day nears, Virginia’s early voting surged 18%, fueled by federal worker ire—potentially validating Cruz’s thesis.

Cruz’s exposé isn’t just rhetoric; it’s a high-wire act. If Democrats fold post-Tuesday, he claims vindication; if not, blame ricochets. “No one wants a shutdown,” Cruz conceded in his 2013 CR vote statement, advocating automatic resolutions with spending cuts—ironic, given his filibuster fame. As paychecks dangle and polls tighten, Washington’s game of chicken accelerates. Will Democrats blink for votes, or dig in for principle? With 18 states voting Tuesday, the shutdown’s shadow looms large—hostage to hubris, or strategy? America watches, wallets empty, as the clock ticks.