House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday said Senate Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown and criticized their refusal to back a short-term Republican spending bill.
Appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Johnson said the House passed a bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the government for seven weeks, but said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blocked it for political reasons.
“Real people are being adversely affected around the country in very substantial ways,” Johnson said. “I pray that more Democrats in the Senate will come to their senses and do the right thing.”
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, dismissed Democrats’ push to tie the standoff to extending Affordable Care Act subsidies as a “red herring,” saying the debate can come later. He argued the subsidies are riddled with “fraud, waste, and abuse” and require reform.
“There’s probably 400 different ideas on how to fix that, so we need a little time to do it,” Johnson said. “We’re not saying we won’t negotiate it. We’re saying turn the lights back on in Congress.”
He warned that the shutdown has already stalled health programs for veterans and seniors, frozen FEMA’s flood insurance program in the middle of hurricane season, and halted WIC benefits for women and children. “Get troops paid, TSA agents and Border Patrol agents paid who are trying to protect us,” Johnson urged.
Pressed by moderator Margaret Brennan, Johnson declined to say whether he supports extending the health care tax credits, insisting his role is to build consensus.
“I haven’t staked out any position on it yet, because that’s not how this process works,” he said. “What I have to do is draw consensus among 435 members of my body.”
The speaker, also appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” addressed the Trump administration’s plan to lay off thousands of federal workers during the shutdown — a move host Kristen Welker noted has “never been done before.”
“We haven’t seen the details yet about what’s happening,” Johnson said. “But it is a regrettable situation that the president does not want.”
Johnson said Democrats would be responsible for the layoffs, arguing Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New Yorkers, are refusing to support the GOP proposal. “No, I don’t want federal workers laid off,” he said. “I want Chuck Schumer to do the right thing … and vote to keep the government open.”
The White House confirmed last week that layoffs are being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget as an “unfortunate consequence” of the shutdown.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters it could involve “thousands” of workers. President Donald Trump met Thursday with OMB Director Russell Vought, calling the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” to examine cuts and staffing levels across agencies.
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