David Rouzer, Representative of North Carolina, said that Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown. He warned of potential consequences such as missed pay for troops and federal workers, halted Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) support, and paused Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief if the situation persists. The statement was made on X.
“It’s been one week since the Democrats shut down the government,” said David Cheston Rouzer, U.S. Representative from North Carolina. “If the Democrats don’t vote to open the government by the end of the week, our troops and federal employees will miss a paycheck, women, infants, and children won’t receive food assistance, and FEMA funding to continue disaster relief will stop. These are just a couple examples on how the Democrats will affect millions of Americans if they continue to put far-left activists first.”
In October 2025, the government shutdown entered its second week with repeated Senate failures to advance the House GOP’s stopgap Continuing Resolution (CR). This included an October 14 cloture vote (49–45), marking at least the eighth failed attempt. According to CBS News, House leadership declined to reconvene, accusing Senate Democrats of blocking funding. Republicans pushed their CR through November 21, while Democrats demanded extensions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and health programs before voting. This gridlock led both chambers to schedule further show-votes without serious negotiation.
As of early October 2025, approximately 900,000 federal employees were furloughed and another 700,000 worked without pay. Roughly 1.3 million active-duty service members faced the risk of missed pay if the lapse continued. These figures are based on analysis of the 2025 shutdown impacts.
During the shutdown, WIC operations were among those suspended or severely curtailed. FEMA maintained “excepted” disaster functions but delayed reimbursements and grants; contingency funding such as reallocated tariff revenue was used to keep some WIC services temporarily operational. These effects are documented in the shutdown’s program impact reports.
Rouzer currently represents North Carolina’s 7th congressional district and serves on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee among others. He has been publicly vocal in 2025 on disaster relief and supported continuing resolution efforts, arguing for keeping federal spending open. His House site confirms he voted for the CR extending funding to November 21.
In North Carolina, Rouzer’s district lies in the southeastern coastal region. The state’s WIC program is administered via the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services using county health departments. Disaster response and FEMA-backed programs run through North Carolina Emergency Management under the Department of Public Safety as detailed in NC state agency documentation.
