Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger is criticizing House Minority Whip Katherine Clark's comments in a recent interview on the government shutdown. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have," Clark responded.
"It is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people, and it's been an absolute refusal, and they were willing to let government shut down when they control the House, the Senate and the White House rather than come and talk about an issue as important to the American people is if they can afford healthcare."
Fox News Digital reached out to Clark's office for a response to Pfluger's comments.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on the tenth day of the federal government shutdown on October 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
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"Mike Johnson said, we have an eternity to talk about this, an eternity. This impact of the ACA is in the next few weeks," Clark said. "Yes, there are repercussions to a shutdown that are terrible for people."
She continued, "I feel for military families that even if they get paid, you know, there are lots of spouses that also work that are feeling these cuts because we've encouraged military spouses to become federal workers to accommodate all the travel and moving that military families so frequently experience. And now we're saying to them, you're not going to be paid for your work. I mean, let's get it together here. The Republicans need to come to town. They need to sit down with us."
Republicans have seized on Clark's comments in recent days, however.
House GOP Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said in a statement on Wednesday, "Democrats are holding American families hostage to advance their political agenda, and they’re admitting it."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-republican-slams-katherine-clark-saying-dems-have-leverage-shutdown