Congressman John Rose, who represents Tennessee’s 6th district in the U.S. Congress, used his social media platform to criticize Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on military families and federal employees.
On November 8, 2025, Rose questioned the motives of Democratic lawmakers regarding the government shutdown. He stated, “At this point, 38 days into this shutdown: I’m not even sure Democrats could name their demands to reopen the government. What this boils down to is their hatred of Donald Trump and the America First movement. And they’re using hardworking Tennesseans as ‘leverage’ to stick it” (November 8, 2025).
Later that day, Rose highlighted the effects of the shutdown on military personnel at Fort Campbell. He wrote, “At @FortCampbell, 8,500 civilian employees are reporting to work without pay, and 30,100 soldiers on post don’t know when their next paycheck will come. Our troops and their families can’t shut down and go home just because the Democrats have. These are heroes, not ‘leverage.'” (November 8, 2025).
After Senate action led to a resolution of the shutdown two days later, Rose commented on November 10: “This shutdown was completely unnecessary and hurt countless Tennessee families. I’m glad to see a few Senate Democrats finally found the courage to reopen the government. Now House Republicans need to get back to Washington and hold the line.” (November 10, 2025).
John Rose has served in Congress since replacing Diane Black in 2019 as representative for Tennessee’s 6th district. Born in Cookeville in 1965 and currently residing there at age 58, he holds degrees from Tennessee Technological University (BS) and Vanderbilt University (JD). His recent statements reflect ongoing partisan tensions surrounding federal budget negotiations.
