Minnesota Needs Leaders Who Will Fight Back, Even If That Means A Government Shutdown

By Lilly Sasse, Minnesota Reformer

October 7, 2025

No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve a seat at the table. But billionaires and big corporations, and the politicians they bankroll, are working around the clock to take that away from us.

They distract and divide us from one another, stoking fear so we won’t notice how they’ve captured our democracy. They do it in the halls of government with their lobbyists and paid-for cabinet positions, and they do it on the campaign trail with the politicians they buy. Every step of the way, they’re consolidating power for themselves while working families get left behind.

Minnesotans understand what’s at stake. We are watching as extremist politicians in Washington hold our government hostage, slashing health care, SNAP, and the programs we rely on — all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy few. They are weaponizing the Department of Justice against public leaders who dare to hold them accountable. They are sending masked law enforcement to kidnap our neighbors off the streets. And they are weaponizing the National Guard in our cities, turning soldiers against the very people they are sworn to protect.

At the same time, Minnesota families are facing impossible choices. Parents are working two jobs to provide for their families. Seniors are rationing their medication because of the rising cost of prescriptions. The tariffs are squeezing farmers, rural hospitals are closing due to Medicaid cuts, and so are child care centers, leaving families with limited options for either health care or child care. No Minnesotan should have to face these choices.

The only people these politicians are working for are the billionaires and corporations that bankrolled their campaigns. To these leaders, this was never about cutting waste or a budget; they are dismantling our government piece by piece and selling it off to the highest bidder, all while families like ours are being left behind.

Two paths lie on the horizon: let our politicians, with all the power, continue to hurt our working-class neighbors — or draw a line in the sand. To us, the choice in this moment is clear.

We are proud that our senators and leaders in Washington chose the latter. They understand what Minnesotans already know, that there is no “compromise” when it comes to sacrificing the health, safety, and dignity of our neighbors. Suppose the alternative to a shutdown is caving to demands that slash the programs people depend on. Refusing to play along is not dysfunction — it is the only choice.

Minnesotans know a better future is possible. We believe in an inclusive, multiracial democracy where people, not corporations, have the power to shape our future. We know that getting there takes vision, courage, and fight. It takes leaders who are willing to push back against these corporate-backed power grabs, even when it means taking tough votes. It also takes all of us speaking out, organizing, and refusing to accept politics as usual.

Thank you, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Reps. Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison, for fighting for Minnesotans and defending access to health care, SNAP, and against federal overreach against our neighbors.

For those who did vote for it, they must remember, now more than ever, democracy is for the we, not the thee. It cannot be bought by billionaires, captured by corporations, or held hostage by billionaires, corporations, and the politicians they back. It can only be defended when we fight together.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and uncovering stories that other outlets can’t or won’t tell.