House Speaker Blames Democrats for Impending Shutdown

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Democrats of leading the country toward government shutdowns to appease their radical left supporters, urging them to change course and keep federal operations running.

“This law hasn’t changed much. There’s no hidden agenda or partisan tricks. The only thing different now is the president in the Oval Office,” Johnson remarked. He emphasized that the Republican Party has consistently faced this situation over the years. Instead of collaborating with President Trump and Republicans to resolve the issue, he claimed Democrats are choosing to play politics with people’s lives.

“The reality is that Congressional Democrats are pushing for another reckless shutdown to satisfy their far-left base. It’s entirely within their control to keep the government open or to reopen it. There’s still an opportunity to pass a clean, bipartisan bill that they just need to support,” he added.

Johnson stressed that the House’s proposal is a straightforward, continuous funding solution without any partisan add-ons, noting that Democrats have previously agreed to the same funding levels. Just before the deadline, he criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for being “very selfish” during the shutdown talks. “I was more responsible and did everything I could to prevent this from happening,” he told CNN, recalling that Republicans, even when in the minority, had offered votes to avoid shutdowns. He accused Schumer of making a unilateral decision for personal reasons as the Democratic leader.

Johnson also pointed out past statements from various Democrats who criticized shutdowns. His office circulated a video featuring comments from Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), all previously voicing concerns about the fallout from shutdowns. Ocasio-Cortez lamented in 2019 that shutting down the government over unmet demands was unacceptable, a sentiment echoed by Schumer in 2024.

Jeffries, in December 2024, warned that families and farmers would suffer due to a shutdown, while Minority Whip Catherine Clark (D-MA) highlighted that service members could go unpaid. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) expressed concern via social media, questioning who would bear the brunt of the shutdown’s impact.

In spite of their own warnings against a shutdown, Democrats are pushing for short-term measures to extend programs like Obamacare subsidies and reverse certain Trump-era restrictions, particularly those affecting Medicaid. Republicans argue that such debates are better suited for long-term spending discussions, rather than emergency measures.

Recent polling showed that many Americans disapproved of the Democratic strategy. A New York Times/Siena poll conducted from September 22 to 27 indicated that 65% of voters opposed a government shutdown over unmet demands, with only 27% in favor.

Johnson criticized Schumer and Jeffries, describing their approach as mere political theatrics. He observed that Democratic leaders were attempting to demonstrate their commitment by pushing for a shutdown, despite previously voting to approve the same funding levels. “The shutdown risks military pay, nutrition programs for women and children, and various essential services,” Johnson stated in an interview with Fox News.