RNC Rips Sen. Gallego 'Hypocrisy' on Taking Shutdown Pay

The Republican National Committee is seizing on Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., reportedly planning to accept his taxpayer-funded paycheck while his own staff does not get paid amid the Senate Democrat-forced government shutdown.

Gallego voted 11 times against reopening the government, "once again proving that Democrat hypocrisy knows no bounds," RNC Deputy Rapid Response Director Sonali Patel wrote in a public memo shared with Newsmax.

The memo came amid reporting that the senator, "when asked about his own employees struggling without pay, Gallego arrogantly brushed it off: 'I told you what I told you.'"

"Gallego's comments perfectly sums up the Democrats' shutdown strategy which is to hurt working Americans, protect themselves, and sneer at anyone who calls them out," Patel wrote.

This is already the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the second-longest shutdown of all time, trailing only the 2019 partial shutdown during the first Trump administration.

"It's been exactly three weeks since Democrats shut down the government over funding nearly $200 billion in healthcare for illegals," Patel's memo continued.

"If not for President [Donald] Trump, our troops would've missed paychecks and women and children would've lost critical WIC resources."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was also called out by Patel for "whining" about their own voting to keep the shutdown going to record lengths.

"Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy complained that President Trump is paying 'only the employees he favors,'" Patel's memo concluded.

"When will Americans' suffering be enough for Democrats to end this shutdown and put the American people over illegals?"

Here is a ranking of the longest government shutdowns, including the partial ones, as reported by USA Today (ranked by length):

1. 2019 under Trump – 35 days
2. 2025 under Trump – 21 days (tied)
3. 1996 under President Bill Clinton – 21 days (tied)
4. 1978 under President Jimmy Carter – 17 days (tied)
5. 2013 under President Barack Obama – 17 days (tied)
6. 1977 under Carter – 12 days
7. 1976 under President Gerald Ford – 11 days (tied)
8. 1979 under Carter – 11 days (tied)
9. 1977 under Carter – 8 days (tied)
10. 1977 under Carter – 8 days (tied)
11. 1995 under President Bill Clinton – 5 days
12. 1990 under President George H.W. Bush – 4 days
13. 2018 under Trump – 3 days (tied)
14. 1982 under President Ronald Reagan – 3 days (tied)
15. 1983 under Reagan – 3 days (tied)
16. 1981 under Reagan – 2 days (tied)
17. 1984 under Reagan – 2 days (tied)
18. 1982 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)
19. 1984 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)
20. 1986 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)
21. 1987 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)
22. 2018 under Trump – several hours

• Longest Full Govt Shutdown Ever Hits Day 20
• RNC: Close 'Unacceptable Loopholes' on Illegal Voting