Congress didn’t get much done this week. But that doesn’t mean it was dull on Capitol Hill during what is now the second-longest federal government shutdown ever. Here are the top four moments of the week on the Hill:
**1. Fetterman’s ‘Groundhog Day’**
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has defied his party’s strategy by continuing to support efforts to reopen the government, aptly compared the shutdown to *Groundhog Day*, a 1993 comedy film set in his home state.
“It’s *Groundhog Day* and it’s not entertaining,” Fetterman said, criticizing his fellow Senate Democrats’ continued refusal to vote to reopen the government. “That’s a great movie, but this is… It’s embarrassing.”
In the film, a man finds himself cursed to repeat the same day over and over again in the sleepy town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
“We all lose, and it’s embarrassing,” Fetterman added, referring to the ongoing shutdown.
**2. Jeffries’ Final Refusal**
Just hours before endorsing Democrat nominee Zohran Mamdani for New York City’s next mayor, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) declined to state his position on the race one final time.
“I have not refused to endorse,” he told reporters after months of remaining silent. “I have refused to articulate my position, and I will, momentarily, at some point, in advance of early voting.”
Early voting was scheduled to begin the very next day.
The lack of an endorsement from Jeffries, or from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), suggested that many national Democrat leaders have been hesitant to support Mamdani, an avowed socialist.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) accused New York Democrats of “spineless politics” for not backing Mamdani.
Mamdani has defended Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and called for city-run grocery stores and a freeze on rents to address the city’s affordability problems.
Later that day, Jeffries’ endorsement was released. In a statement provided to *The New York Times*, he said, “Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy.”
**3. Clark’s ‘Leverage’ Admission**
House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) gave Republicans a gift during an interview with Fox News by admitting that the shutdown provides “leverage” for Democrats’ demands.
“I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and of course there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer,” Clark told Fox News. “We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was quick to respond. He played the video on a loop outside his office and said at a news conference that Democrats “don’t seem to care” about Americans’ suffering.
**4. Merkley’s Filibuster on a Shoestring**
Though it received less publicity than Sen. Cory Booker’s record-breaking filibuster, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) held a more than 22-hour filibuster on the Senate floor to make Republicans hear his demands.
He does not recommend the experience.
“I want to untie my shoelace because standing in one place for this much time, well, it made my shoes a little tight,” he said as he reached down. “That feels a little better. In general, I don’t recommend standing through the night and talking. Not a healthy pursuit, but I’m standing here to ring the alarm bells.”
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/10/25/4-shutdown-quotes-you-have-to-hear/