Senator Markwayne Mullin (R‑Okla.) has publicly asserted that Democrats are deliberately delaying the reopening of the government for political gain, particularly in the wake of major gubernatorial and mayoral elections. He suggested that the shutdown might be allowed to linger until mid‑week (possibly Wednesday or Thursday) after those key contests in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and California in order to preserve leverage and avoid appearing complacent. Mullin bases his claim on repeated votes in the Senate seeking a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to restart federal funding and his view that Democrats are blocking those votes.

At the same time, Sean O’Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, joined Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy outside the White House where they pressed for a clean funding measure to end the shutdown immediately. O’Brien emphasized the toll the closure is taking on working families, federal workers, and industries such as aviation, demanding that lawmakers “put politics aside” and reopen the government.  His message underscores broader frustration within labor and industry with the stalemate.

Meanwhile, the shutdown is causing tangible impacts. Programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC are at risk, federal employees are missing paychecks, and sectors like aviation are reporting staffing and safety concerns. The closing of the government has become both a policy battle over health‑care subsidies (specifically expiring Affordable Care Act premium assistance) and a proxy for political strategy tied to elections.

In sum: Republicans like Mullin argue that Democrats are leveraging the shutdown strategically until after key elections, while labor unions and industry voices like O’Brien are bluntly saying the shutdown must end now for the sake of working people. The resolution remains uncertain, but the political calculus suggests a possible modest reopening mid‑week if electoral risk spurs action.