Dear Editor,

At midnight on Oct. 1, the federal government shut down. This isn’t just a Washington story — it has real impacts here in Indiana. Federal workers in our communities will go without pay, families will face delays in vital services and our local economy will feel the ripple effects. As a member of the Elkhart City Council, I see firsthand how federal decisions directly affect city governments and the people we serve.

Some will try to blame the minority party for this failure. But the reality is clear: when your party holds the majority, you set the agenda and you bear the responsibility to govern. Today, the Republican Party controls the majority in Congress. That means Sen. Jim Banks and Sen. Todd Young must be held accountable for allowing their party to drive us into a shutdown.

Instead of working toward bipartisan solutions, they have chosen brinkmanship and political gamesmanship. The result is dysfunction that undermines public trust and punishes working families. Cities like mine depend on stability and partnership from higher levels of government — we cannot afford unnecessary crises created by those who are supposed to lead.

Leadership means stepping up, taking responsibility and keeping government open. Blaming others is not leadership. I urge Sens. Banks and Young to end this shutdown immediately and put Hoosiers first.

Sincerely,
Chad Crabtree
Elkhart City Council, District 2