Southern Indiana Today

Congressman Mark Messmer has used his social media platform to comment on the ongoing government shutdown, attributing disruptions in services and financial uncertainty for federal employees to Democratic leadership.

On October 14, 2025, Messmer addressed travel disruptions, stating, "Did your flight get canceled or heavily delayed this month? Thanks to the Democrats’ #SchumerShutdown, Hoosiers will face delays in service and flight cancelations at airports across America. Democrats must reopen the government and end the madness! End the Schumer shutdown!"

The following day, Messmer commented on military pay during the shutdown, writing, "It is Day of the #SchumerShutdown. Thanks to some scrambling by @POTUS and @SecWar — the troops will not miss this week’s paycheck! But Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries don’t care if the troops get paid. They should stop holding government funding and the American" on October 15, 2025.

Later that same day, he raised concerns about support for military personnel and recipients of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, posting, "The Democrats don’t care about paying the troops or feeding babies in the WIC program. Chuck Schumer said out loud that he thinks dragging out this government shutdown disaster into a 2nd week is “better” for Democrats. Democrats need to Pay our Troops and fund the Women,".

The remarks by Congressman Messmer, who represents Indiana's 48th district, reflect broader partisan tensions during recent government shutdowns, where both major parties have accused each other of using funding negotiations for political leverage. Government shutdowns often result from a lapse in appropriations when Congress fails to pass funding legislation, affecting federal operations and programs such as air travel and nutrition assistance for low-income families.