Senators Demand Removal of Partisan Messages from Federal Websites During Shutdown

A group of 24 Democratic and Independent senators have called on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to immediately remove what they describe as partisan political messaging from official government websites and communications during the ongoing government shutdown.

Led by Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, both senior members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the lawmakers sent a strongly worded letter to OMB Director Russ Vought alleging that multiple federal agencies have violated federal law by posting partisan content on official platforms.

The senators claim that since September 30, 2025, federal agencies have engaged in a “seemingly coordinated effort” to display politically charged messages blaming Democratic lawmakers for the shutdown. They cited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, which currently features a red banner stating: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government.”

Similar messaging reportedly appears on websites for the Small Business Administration, Department of Justice, and Department of Agriculture. Additionally, the senators allege that furloughed employees at several agencies, including the Department of Education, have had their out-of-office email responses modified without consent to include partisan language.

“These activities are in blatant violation of Section 715 of P.L. 118-47, which prohibits federal funds from being used for propaganda purposes designed to support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress,” the senators wrote. They added that the actions appear to violate both the Anti-Lobbying Act and the Hatch Act, which restrict political activities by civil servants using government resources.

The letter specifically mentions that automatic email replies from several agencies contain language claiming “Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations.” The senators dispute this characterization, stating: “These messages are misleading, given that Democrats have voted four times over the last week to fully fund the government only to be rebuffed by our Republican colleagues.”

Senator Merkley, who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee with direct oversight of OMB, is spearheading efforts to hold accountable those responsible for directing these communications. The senators emphasized that while spirited public debate has its place, “agency resources, including websites or emails, should not be used to send overtly political, and in this case, misleading messages, to the American people.”

The current shutdown marks the third during the Trump administration, following previous shutdowns lasting 3 and 35 days. The senators noted that during previous shutdowns, agency websites followed past precedent in notifying Americans about the situation without partisan messaging.

Violations of the Hatch Act can result in serious consequences for federal employees, including removal from service, grade reduction, suspension, reprimand, or civil penalties up to $1,000. The Anti-Lobbying Act carries even steeper penalties, with potential fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per occurrence.

In addition to Merkley, Reed, and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, the letter was signed by 21 other Democratic and Independent senators, including Jeanne Shaheen, Martin Heinrich, Angela Alsobrooks, Tammy Baldwin, Mark Warner, Richard Blumenthal, Gary Peters, Chris Van Hollen, Andy Kim, Peter Welch, Tammy Duckworth, Sheldon Whitehouse, Angus King, Adam Schiff, Jon Ossoff, Ben Ray Luján, Tim Kaine, Alex Padilla, Michael Bennet, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Amy Klobuchar.

The shutdown comes as Congress continues to work on funding the federal government for Fiscal Year 2026. As of this report, the Trump administration has not publicly responded to the allegations in the senators’ letter.