Senator Cornyn

Cornyn: Texans Losing Access to Food Assistance, Telehealth due to the Schumer Shutdown

October 20, 2025

Senate Democrats are literally taking food from the mouths of hungry children.

Imagine the devastation of having a loved one suffer from late-stage cancer and knowing that this person is missing out on access to health care because of the Schumer Shutdown.

I hope that the cries of those children who are without food and homebound cancer patients without access to health care will carry more weight with Senate Democrats than the ruthless partisanship coming from the Democratic Leader.

WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed the unprecedented pain Senate Democrats are inflicting on Texans, many of whom may be forced to go hungry due to funds for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running out and are without access to critical telehealth services because of Democrats’ obstruction and refusal to re-open the government. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“Texans who rely upon SNAP as a safety net to buy their groceries and feed their children will not have those benefits until this deranged shutdown comes to an end.” 

“Senate Democrats have voted nine times against a House-passed, short-term funding bill that would immediately re-open the government, and now they are preventing these programs from operating at all.” 

“Senate Democrats are literally taking food from the mouths of hungry children.”

“This shutdown is creating a particularly severe consequence for rural health clinics across America, many of which are unable to continue their full telehealth services to patients during the shutdown.”

“My office recently heard a devastating story about one such patient in a Texas hospital, who has stage four cancer and who has missed his last two appointments. This individual lives 45 minutes from care in the Panhandle in North Texas and is a model patient for telehealth, but thanks to Senate Democrats, that is no longer an option for him.”

“Imagine the devastation of having a loved one suffer from late-stage cancer and knowing that this person is missing out on access to health care because of the Schumer Shutdown. It’s simply indefensible.”

“Are there not five more Democrats willing to buck the heartless display of the Minority Leader and put the American people first rather than their political party and their political aspirations?”

“Well, I hope that the cries of those children who are without food and homebound cancer patients without access to health care will carry more weight with Senate Democrats than the ruthless partisanship coming from the Democratic Leader.”