Adriano Espaillat, U.S. Congressman representing New York’s 13th district, addressed his constituents on October 1, 2025, through a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the federal government shutdown and its effects on New Yorkers.
In a message posted at 16:02 UTC, Espaillat criticized former Trump administration official Russell Vought and the previous administration for their handling of national security issues. He wrote, “Shame on Russell Vought and the Trump administration for harming our national security and punishing New Yorkers with their DC games.”
Shortly after, at 16:15 UTC, Espaillat assured his followers that his office would remain available to assist despite the ongoing government shutdown. He stated in Spanish, “A pesar del cierre del gobierno, mi personal y yo seguiremos trabajando para usted y estaremos disponibles para ayudarle como siempre, aunque es posible que no podamos obtener respuestas de las agencias federales que estén experimentando cierres o suspensiones temporales de”.
Minutes later, he provided additional resources for those affected by the shutdown. In another post at 16:15 UTC, he said, “Para obtener más información sobre cómo el cierre puede afectarle, he creado una página de preguntas frecuentes (FAQ).
Espaillat has represented New York’s 13th district in Congress since 2017 after succeeding Charles Rangel. Before serving in Congress, he was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1997 to 2010 and served in the New York State Senate from 2011 to 2016. Born in Santiago, Dominican Republic in 1954 and currently residing in Manhattan at age 68, Espaillat graduated from Queens College of the City University of New York with a BA in 1978.
