Any journalist who submits an inquiry to the U.S. Department of State since the government shut down on October 1 will receive an automated response blaming delayed responses on congressional Democrats who refused to pass a clean funding resolution.

Media correspondents will now receive the following message from the State Department: “Thank you for your inquiry. Please note that responses may be delayed due to the government shutdown caused by congressional Democrats.”

Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson of the department, emphasized how the Democrats are the ones who caused the shutdown in a Tuesday evening statement to Breitbart News. 

“It’s not partisan to state the obvious: Democrats are to blame for the looming shutdown,” the spokesperson said. 

Congressional Republicans have maintained that Democrats own the shutdown, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) putting their hypocrisy on blast by using their own words:

Almost exactly one year ago, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) apparently cared about how a government shutdown would impact average Americans.

“If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most. A government shutdown means seniors who rely on Social Security could be thrown into chaos,” the minority leader said in a September 2024 speech criticizing “hard-right Republicans” and “MAGA radicals.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shared similar opinions in December 2024, arguing that families and farmers “will be hurt” if the government shut down. 

Schumer and Jeffries have since changed their tune, leading Democrats in blocking the Republicans from passing their version of a continuing resolution (CR). Instead, Democrats proposed their own funding bill demanding an additional $1.4 trillion for far-left projects including free health care for illegal aliens and funding for NPR and PBS, Breitbart News reported.

If a CR is not passed by midnight on Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning marks the beginning of the government shutdown.

According to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Schumer forced the shutdown “because he’s terrified of a primary from AOC.”

“His actions are disgraceful,” the Senate Intelligence Committee chair added in a Monday statement to Breitbart News.

Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.