PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — “Radical Left Democrats” are to blame for the government shutdown, according to the U.S. Forest Service — which is displaying the claim on its websites for lands in Oregon and nationwide.

The federal government shut down for the first time since 2019 on Wednesday, after Congressional leaders failed to agree on a stopgap funding bill. In similar messages, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Forest Service have attributed the stoppage to left-leaning officials.

“The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government,” USFS said online. “This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”

Social media users spotted the message on the website for Oregon’s Siuslaw National Forest just hours after the shutdown went into effect. But similar language is used across the USDA’s webpages, and those of other federal entities — including the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Republicans have control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Yet, Senate Majority Leader John Thune ascribed the shutdown to Democrats, after several voted against the spending bill that needed 60 votes to move forward. It was blocked with a 55-45 vote.

With several federal agencies agreeing with Thune by blaming Democrats for the stoppage, a potential violation of the Hatch Act is being called into question. The law, which went into effect in 1939, bans federal employees from “engaging in partisan political activities” while working, in the workplace, wearing their uniform or using a government vehicle.

This language is currently being displayed on the USFS Hatch Act guidance page — a move that Oregon Wild’s Conservation Director Steve Pedery referred to as “as brazen as it is unlawful.”

“A century ago, Republican President Teddy Roosevelt had a vision of the U.S. Forest Service as an agency that would safeguard our natural heritage for all Americans,” Pedery said in a statement to KOIN 6. “Partisan hacks should not be allowed to corrupt his legacy and squander taxpayer resources promoting their agenda. Using the United States Forest Service as a mouthpiece for blatantly partisan political campaigning will undermine the American people’s trust in the agency across the board.”

Oregon Wild claims to be the state’s oldest environmental nonprofit, advocating for wildlife and public lands. Its conservation director noted that federal officials are working to amend the Northwest Forest Plan centered on land management, and have also planned to nix the longstanding Roadless Rule and Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.

“America deserves an agency that conserves our public lands, wildlife, and clean water as a legacy for future generations, not one motivated by politics,” Pedery added.