Ft Wayne Times

Senator Jim Banks, a U.S. Senator representing Indiana, made several statements on social media between September 30 and October 1, 2025, addressing recent federal policy decisions and the ongoing government shutdown.

On September 30, Banks commented on a legal decision regarding state documentation in Indiana: "Yesterday, a federal judge upheld Indiana’s policy requiring birth certificates to list sex, not ‘gender identity.’ A massive win for truth and common sense." This statement follows ongoing national debates about how gender is recorded on official documents.

Later that day, Banks addressed the government shutdown debate. In a post dated September 30, he wrote: "The Democrats own a shutdown.  Here is Axios 20 days ago saying Demorats are embracing 'shutdowns' and that 'a shutdown fight might be the only action that appeases their deeply unsatisfied party base.' They will hurt our veterans to try to score political points."

Continuing his criticism of Democratic lawmakers during the budget impasse, Banks posted on October 1: "Troops aren’t being paid right now because the Democrats want to spend nearly $200 billion on subsidies for illegal immigrants and non-citizens. This shutdown stunt from Schumer and Democrats is shameful."

The comments come amid heightened partisan tensions over federal spending priorities and immigration policy. The dispute has led to a lapse in funding for some government operations, including military pay. Nationally, debates continue about how best to address issues of gender identification in official records and about the allocation of public funds during periods of divided government.