Ft Wayne Times

Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana, used his social media platform on October 31, 2025, to address a series of political and international issues, including congressional negotiations and human rights concerns.

In a post made early in the morning, Stutzman expressed support for President Biden’s stance on congressional action. He stated: “I’m with @POTUS. Time for Republicans to be the adult in the room and do what is right to stop the bleeding. INITIATE THE NUCLEAR OPTION” (October 31, 2025).

Later that day, Stutzman commented on the ongoing government shutdown debate coinciding with Halloween. He wrote: “This Halloween, the scariest thing Americans are facing is the Schumer Shutdown. While Democrats may pretend to dress themselves as superheroes, those suffering in our country are not fooled by their fake disguises. Stop using people in need as leverage. Open the government.” (October 31, 2025).

On the evening of October 31, Stutzman turned his attention to international human rights issues and praised recent executive action regarding Nigeria’s religious freedoms record. He posted: “Thank you @POTUS for labeling Nigeria as a COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN! Christians are being relentlessly tortured and murdered and this is a much needed first step. I was happy to join @SenTedCruz in introducing legislation to stop this and am looking forward to working with” (October 31, 2025).

The “nuclear option” referenced by Stutzman typically describes a change to Senate rules that allows certain actions—such as confirming nominees or passing legislation—to proceed with a simple majority vote rather than overcoming a filibuster threshold [Senate.gov](https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/nuclear-option.htm). The phrase has been invoked during times of heightened partisan gridlock.

Stutzman's mention of Nigeria relates to longstanding concerns about violence against Christians and other groups within that country; designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” signals increased U.S. scrutiny over religious freedom violations [U.S. Department of State](https://www.state.gov/countries-of-particular-concern/). Bipartisan legislative efforts have sought ways to address these abuses.

Schumer Shutdown refers to an ongoing dispute over government funding attributed by some Republicans—including Stutzman—to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer amid budget negotiations.