Representative Henry Cuellar, who serves Texas’s 28th congressional district, has used his social media platform to address the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on federal employees in his district.
On October 15, 2025, Cuellar posted on X: “Today marks the first missed paycheck for federal employees under the Republican-led government shutdown. On Day One of the shutdown, I signed a letter refusing my congressional salary until the government is open again. With nearly 15,000 federal workers in #TX28, I won’t take”. In this message, he highlighted the immediate consequences of the shutdown and his decision to forgo his congressional pay until the situation is resolved.
Later the same day, Cuellar shared another post: “Democrats will continue to stand strong in Washington to keep health care costs low, reopen the government, and ensure every federal employee receives their paycheck. Today, I joined my fellow @HouseDemocrats on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to demand an end to the”. This tweet emphasized the Democratic caucus’s commitment to reopening the government and supporting federal workers.
On October 16, 2025, Cuellar addressed concerns regarding law enforcement personnel during the shutdown: “During the shutdown, our frontline @CBP law enforcement agents will continue receiving pay. My full statement below.”.
Cuellar has represented Texas’s 28th district through multiple election cycles, having defeated Jay Furman in 2024 with 52.8% of the vote, Cassy Garcia in 2022 with 56.65%, Sandra Whitten in 2020 with 58.3%, Arthur Thomas in 2018 with 84.4%, Zeffen Hardin in 2016 with 66.2%, and Will Alkens in 2014 with 82.1%. His continued re-election demonstrates sustained support from his constituents.
The ongoing government shutdown has led to missed paychecks for federal employees, a situation that lawmakers like Cuellar are actively addressing both through legislative action and public statements.
