SE Kansas City News

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a U.S. Congressman representing Missouri’s 5th district since 2005, criticized Republican leadership and the president in a series of posts on September 30, 2025, regarding the potential government shutdown and ongoing budget negotiations.

In his first post at 16:00 UTC, Cleaver warned about the consequences of a government shutdown and accused the president of not taking the situation seriously. He wrote, "Millions of Americans will be harmed if the government shuts down.

Rather than being a leader and negotiating a bipartisan deal that prevents another Republican shut down and meets the needs of our communities, the president is posting childish videos.

It's embarrassing."

Less than an hour later, at 16:50 UTC, Cleaver highlighted which party controls Congress and criticized House Republicans for their absence during critical funding negotiations. He stated, "Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House.

And with the funding deadline looming, House Republicans are on vacation while Democrats are in D.C. ready to prevent another harmful Republican shut down.

It’s about time they put people over politics."

At 17:46 UTC on September 30, Cleaver addressed recent legislative efforts by Democrats to avoid a shutdown and reduce health care costs. He posted, "House Democrats just tried to keep government open and lower health care costs, but House Republicans blocked us.

Republicans would rather shut down the government than make health care more affordable."

Cleaver has represented Missouri's 5th District since replacing Karen McCarthy in 2005. Born in Waxahachie, Texas in 1944 and currently residing in Kansas City at age 78, he holds a BS from Prairie View A&M University (source: biographical information).

The posts come as lawmakers face an imminent funding deadline amid partisan disagreements over spending priorities—a recurring issue that has led to several high-profile government shutdowns in recent years.