Senators are supposed to work for the American people, but some of my Democratic colleagues think the inverse is true. They believe the American people work for them, and this shutdown proves that they don’t mind making some work without pay to further their political agenda.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for example, encouraged his party to keep the government closed, saying, “Every day gets better for us.” Rep. Katherine Clark, a member of the House Democratic leadership team, echoed this sentiment. She told the press that making families “suffer” during shutdowns is “one of the few leverage times” Democrats have to force their bad policies on the American people.

Democrats want to muddy the water to make this shutdown look deep. Here’s the reality: Republicans have voted more than a dozen times to reopen the government — with no strings attached — at the same funding levels that Democrats previously supported.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have refused to reopen the government unless we allow them to spend an additional $1.5 trillion on woke projects, including a bailout for their broken Obamacare exchanges, insurance for illegal immigrants, and renewed funding for NPR and PBS.

As Democrats continue to pursue this delusional spending spree, the American people are suffering. Air traffic controllers, our troops, and other federal employees are working without pay. Families who rely upon the National Flood Insurance Program to protect their homes have been unable to secure new policies. And Louisianians who receive food stamps don’t know whether they’ll be able to buy groceries next week.

Unlike my Democratic colleagues, I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage. That’s why I’ve been working to make sure that only members of Congress feel the pain of a shutdown.

First, I introduced a bill that would withhold paychecks from members of Congress for the duration of the government shutdown – without providing back pay. If we don’t do our jobs, we shouldn’t get paid.

Second, my Republican colleagues and I have introduced several bills to require the federal government to pay both federal employees and military personnel during the shutdown. This would ensure that our heroes’ paychecks are not treated as political pawns.

Finally, I’ve introduced a bill to temporarily restore funding for the NFIP so Louisianians who depend on these insurance policies can protect their homes. The NFIP is far too important to Louisiana homeowners to be subject to the chaos of a shutdown.

Most Democratic senators have refused to vote for these shutdown reforms because the loon wing of their party thinks it’s good to take the country hostage in exchange for socialist policies. But my sane Democratic colleagues know it’s wrong. It’s time for those Senators to buy a spine online and vote to reopen the country.