Lance Gooden, U.S. Congressman for Texas’s 5th district, used his social media account on October 5, 2025, to criticize Democratic lawmakers and highlight the impacts of a government shutdown.
In a post published at 02:02 UTC, Gooden commented on border security and law enforcement policies, stating: “The party that said nothing when Venezuelan criminals flooded across Joe Biden’s open border is upset President Trump is eliminating narcoterrorists. Got it.”
Later the same day at 12:10 UTC, Gooden addressed the consequences of the government shutdown for federal assistance programs in Texas. He wrote: “Democrats call themselves the party of working families, but their shutdown stops WIC funding for nearly 784,000 Texans. Mothers and infants will feel the pain first.”
By the evening, Gooden elaborated on broader economic impacts associated with the shutdown. At 20:55 UTC he posted: “The Democrat shutdown will cost $15 billion in lost GDP per week. – Job losses – Reduced consumer spending – Disruptions to vital programs All because Democrats are determined to put illegal aliens over American citizens.”
Gooden has represented Texas’s 5th congressional district since winning election in 2018. He secured reelection in subsequent cycles—defeating Dan Wood in 2018 with over 62% of the vote, Carolyn Salter in 2020 with a similar margin, Tartisha Hill in 2022 with more than 64%, and Ruth Torres in 2024 with over 64% of votes.
