During a press conference on the sixth day of the Democratic government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that Democrats are misrepresenting their message, emphasizing that it is actually Republicans striving to address the healthcare crisis.
“Let’s look at the facts,” Johnson said, suggesting that Republicans are taking a straightforward approach. He urged to stop focusing on gaps and presents it as a consistent solution, “to keep the lights on, keep the government functioning, and allow the budget to complete this healthy process for their constituents.”
“Why do we call it pretty? Because it’s straightforward. It’s just 24 pages and rather simplistic. It merely maintains the status quo,” he explained.
“We’ve prepared the budget, but we need more time. So, in a bipartisan effort, Democrats and Republicans collaborated, and it seems Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Senate minority leader, is changing his tune to save face with his more progressive colleagues.”
“They’ve created a distraction. This red herring is a diversion. They’ve chosen to pick a fight over healthcare, trying to portray Republicans as uninterested in the issue,” Johnson clarified.
“We’re the ones working around the clock to address healthcare. It’s not even a question for us—we’ve addressed it numerous times. Our significant bill included tax cuts for working families that aimed to modify healthcare, which, let’s face it, is costly.”
“Our members are engaged in this. We have a tax credit and a grant coming up, with a deadline set for December 31. There’s ongoing thoughtful discussion about it, but it’s important to note that this is a December 31 issue. Still, Schumer is scrambling, even though these matters are completely separate.”
“The clean, continuous solution serves solely to keep the lights on, allowing House and Senate members to deliberate on healthcare. We’ve always intended to do this.”
“In his desperation, Schumer has opted to create this red herring, insisting that everything revolves around healthcare while the funding issue for September is unrelated. He’s tried to frame this as a fundraising concern for September. His rush led to a ridiculous counter-proposal—a progressive wishlist full of big government ideas that we simply can’t support,” he added.
clock:
