Senator Ruben Gallego to Host Ritz-Carlton Fundraiser Amid Shutdown

October 9, 2025 ADI Staff Reporter
gallego kelly
Witnesses says that Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego tried to host a publicity stunt outside of the Speaker’s Office. Speaker Mike Johnson turned the tables and came out to ask them to do their jobs and vote to reopen the government.

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is making the most of this prolonged government shutdown.

Gallego scheduled a fundraiser for this weekend at the Ritz-Carlton in Puerto Rico. Gallego has continued to vote against a continuing resolution, acting in lockstep with Democrats who say they want expiring Obamacare tax credits. The government shutdown has gone on for over a week now and will last at least 14 days, since the Senate won’t return until Tuesday.

“We will decide on future political travel based on the status of the government shutdown and political actions of Republicans,” said a Gallego spokesman in a statement to Axios. “Senate Republicans, on the other hand, are going to let health care for 24 million Americans lapse and head to Sea Island this weekend during the shutdown for a luxurious fundraising trip.”

The longest government shutdown occurred from December 2018 to January 2019, lasting approximately a month.

All members of Congress continue to receive their pay during the government shutdown, unlike most federal employees. Approximately 750,000 federal workers are furloughed, and military members continue to work without pay.

In Arizona, the economic impact of the government shutdown amounts to about $300 million per week in gross state product; about 1,000 workers hit with unemployment; around 58,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay; about 887,000 total SNAP benefits enrollees impacted after 30 days (344,000 of whom are children); around $76 million in SBA loan delays; around $560 million in federal contract spending cut; and an estimated $786 million consumer spending decline from lost wages each month.

The White House Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) issued a report on the full economic impact of the government shutdown on Arizona, as well as the other 49 states.

Gallego told Semafor that he would accept Republicans’ promise on Affordable Care Act subsidies and vote on a continuing resolution as long as the continuing resolution lapses before November 1, when Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment occurs and Democrats want Republicans to extend ACA premium subsidies.

“[I]f they screw us, then I’d just go back and shut it down again,” said Gallego in a statement to Semafor.

Apart from fundraising, Gallego has filled his time with media interviews to discuss the shutdown.

On Thursday, Gallego sat down at length with Punchbowl News. Gallego said he would only vote on a continuing resolution to last through the end of October if Republicans only agreed to work on health care insurance.

“If there is some kind of option out there where Republicans want to reopen and we reopen until October 30 or something like that, it’s to work on this and only this,” said Gallego.

Gallego said he was open to negotiating on limits like caps, timing, and sunsets, but wasn’t willing to negotiate results where premiums rise by too great an amount.

“I need to see that the premiums for everyday, working Americans does not go through the roof through the inaction of the Senate and the House,” said Gallego.

Gallego maintains that Republicans need to negotiate better terms for health care insurance rates.

“What we’re worried about is that 24 million Americans are going to have their insurance premiums reset,” said Gallego. “For a family of four in Arizona, that’s almost $4,400 more on top of what they’re paying for now.”

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