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Federal agencies across Washington are posting messages blaming Democratic senators for the ongoing government shutdown — a striking and unprecedented break from past nonpartisan protocol.
Traditionally, agencies issue neutral statements about which services will be disrupted during a funding lapse. But under President Donald Trump’s direction, multiple departments — including Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs — have published or circulated communications explicitly blaming Democrats for blocking a short-term spending bill.
Partisan talking points inside federal offices
At the Department of Labor, employees received a government-wide email Wednesday suggesting they use a pre-written “out of office” message that blames Democrats for the shutdown.
“Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations,” the message reads.
“Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume.”
Similar language appeared in internal communications at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where one employee told NBC News their supervisor encouraged them to include the partisan message in their own email replies.
Employees at other agencies — including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Justice Department, and Department of Housing and Urban Development — said they did not receive similar instructions.
Neither the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which reportedly drafted the template, nor the Labor Department responded to requests for comment.
Ethics concerns mount
Ethics experts and watchdog groups say the administration’s actions likely violate federal ethics standards and possibly the Hatch Act, which bars government employees from engaging in political activity in their official capacity.
“This is unprecedented, illegal, and flat-out wrong,” said Max Stier, CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. “Federal employees who are furloughed are still subject to the same legal and ethics rules. The administration should not be using federal employees or federal resources to wage a political battle.”
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Public Citizen both called for investigations into the practice.
Donald Sherman, a former senior counsel at HUD and now CREW’s executive director, said the messages “clearly violate” the federal code of conduct.
“There’s no universe where that is acceptable,” Sherman said. “These agencies are supposed to serve every American, regardless of political affiliation. Turning official communications into partisan talking points crosses a bright line.”
Agency websites push partisan blame
The partisan messaging has also spread to official government websites. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s homepage now features a red banner that reads:
“The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”
A pop-up window repeats the same message for visitors, while the State Department’s site blames the “Democrat-led shutdown” and warns that updates will be limited.
At the Treasury Department, Forest Service, and Department of Veterans Affairs, similar notices have appeared. The VA’s VetResources newsletter, sent to veterans and their families, claimed that “Democrats are blocking” the continuing resolution needed to fund the government.
HUD defended the banner in a statement to NBC News, saying,
“The Far Left is barreling our country toward a shutdown which will hurt all Americans. Why is the media more focused on a banner than on the impact of a shutdown?”
A HUD official added that the message had been “carefully worded” to reference ideology rather than a specific political party or candidate — an argument legal experts say is unlikely to withstand scrutiny.
Legal questions and calls for investigation
The Democracy Defenders Fund on Wednesday urged the Government Accountability Office to open an inquiry into the matter.
“The Trump administration turned a government agency website into a partisan billboard,” said Virginia Canter, the group’s ethics and anticorruption chief counsel. “It’s an abuse of power, a waste of taxpayer money, and appears to be a flat-out violation of the law.”
Shutdown’s political backdrop
The federal government shut down just after midnight Tuesday when Congress failed to pass a funding bill. While Republicans control the White House and both chambers, they lack the 60 Senate votes needed to advance legislation without Democratic support. Democrats are seeking assurances that Trump will not withhold spending already approved by Congress and want to extend certain health care programs.
About 750,000 federal employees are now furloughed, according to the Congressional Budget Office, while Trump and members of Congress continue to be paid during the lapse in funding.
