Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) sharply criticized Senate Democrats and Leader Chuck Schumer this week for their role in the ongoing government shutdown, stating the dispute centers on “healthcare for illegals,” which Republicans “are not paying for.”
During an interview on Daybreak on 92.5 FM WFSX Fox News Radio–Estero, Donalds lamented the stalemate, saying, “You can’t negotiate with crazy. There’s really nothing to negotiate. All we’re saying is reopen the government and then we’ll get to the rest of the business of the government.”
Shutdown Standoff
The Florida Congressman specifically targeted Senate Democrats for voting against a measure that would have paid federal employees and military personnel during the shutdown. “The Democrats yesterday voted no when it came to paying the troops and paying federal employees,” Donalds said. “The Senate Democrats said no, they don’t want to pay them. This is crazy to me.”
He emphasized that the core issue preventing an agreement is funding for services related to illegal immigrants. “Again, all of what we’re talking about here is healthcare for illegals. We’re not paying for that. We’re just not going to do it. That’s just the way it is,” Donalds asserted.
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The ‘WEIGH Act’ and Border Enforcement
In addition to discussing the shutdown, Donalds highlighted his proposed legislation, H.R. 5177 – “The Weigh Station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act.”
Donalds stressed the urgency of passing the bill once the government reopens, stating, “My bill, the Weigh Act, when we open the government back this thing needs to pass and move through both chambers.” The legislation aims to utilize commercial vehicle weigh stations as a key tool for immigration enforcement.
“You get to check their ability to understand English and you get to check if they’re here legally. All that has to be checked at weigh stations and that’s the biggest way you do it,” he explained.
The Congressman argues that targeting the commercial sector is the most effective approach, as the financial penalty to companies—having a load stranded if a driver is detained—would incentivize compliance. “If somebody is driving the truck and they’re stopped and taken off the truck, the company, they have to figure out who’s going to come and pick up the load and that’s very expensive. So that’s the way you have to deal with this.”
Commitment to Border Security
The conversation also touched on the Trump administration’s ongoing focus on border security. Donalds expressed frustration with states like California, calling them “out of touch and just nuts when it comes to what makes sense in the United States,” and reiterated his commitment to passing measures like the WEIGH Act to strengthen enforcement efforts across the nation.
Donalds acknowledged the unpredictable length of the shutdown, stating, “I don’t know, this could end next week. You could go a couple weeks. We’ll see how long they want to hold out.” However, he made it clear that Republicans would not negotiate under duress. “We’re not going to negotiate like this,” he concluded.
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