Eli Crane Calls Upon Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego to End Shutdown

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) called upon Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) to join in voting for the continuing resolution (CR) and end the government shutdown in an X post.

For additional context, three Democrats, Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Angus King (I-ME), the latter caucusing with Democrats, have voted in favor of the continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government open through November 21st, which House Republicans passed in September.

The rest of the Senate's Democrats, however, have repeatedly voted against it.

In response, Rep. Crane recently shared on social media that "three brave democrats have defied Chuck Schumer and voted to reopen the federal government. Only five more senate democrats are needed to end this harmful shutdown. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have a chance to be two of them. Country over party, right?"

Ahead of the shutdown, Rep. Crane predicted that Senate Democrats would choose to vote against the continuing resolution out of spite for President Donald Trump, saying, "if Democrats are willing to shut down the government over taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries and healthcare for illegals, they can own the consequences."

The Arizona Congressman refused his congressional salary for the duration of the shutdown, going so far as to support a bill introduced by Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC) that would prevent members of Congress from receiving pay during shutdowns.

Crane's criticism of Senate Democrats sharpened after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told Punchbowl News that "every day [of the shutdown] gets better for us."

"It's because we've thought about this long in advance and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30 and we prepared for it," Sen. Schumer expressed. "Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two."

The Arizona Congressman implored Republican leadership to "hold a hard line, because if we cave on this, it is going to be a very difficult three years going forward."