Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) spoke out on Thursday in defense of the Trump administration’s use of official government websites to address political aspects of looming shutdowns, asserting it was merely stating “objective truth” regarding the budget stalemate.
Various agencies, including justice and housing departments, have displayed messages on their websites attributing the deadlock solely to Democrats.
Critics argue that these assertions constitute a breach of the Hatch Act, which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for promoting political agendas.
When specifically queried about HUD’s statement claiming that “extremists left in Congress have shut down the government,” Johnson suggested he wouldn’t dispute that point, as nearly all Democrats voted against a Republican plan aimed at preventing a shutdown.
“What the HUD website is saying is objective truth,” Johnson explained to reporters at the Capitol. “We have 44 Democrats in the Senate and nearly all House Democrats, except one, chose to support shutting down the government. That was their choice.”
In contrast, Democrats contended that the shutdown stemmed from Republicans crafting the spending bill without their input while demanding support from them.
Democrats, along with a government oversight group, argue that this tactic of exploiting official resources for political attacks clearly breaches regulations against using taxpayer money for partisan activities.
“The main point I wanted to clarify is that this cannot violate the Hatch Act,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) stated in an interview.
Civics, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, has lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Special Advisors Office.
“This is a blatant violation of the Hatch Act, raising questions about HUD’s assumptions that they can escape scrutiny,” the group commented.
This controversy unfolded as President Trump and his administration appeared more inclined toward shutdowns, which could lead to job cuts and reduction in federal programs. Russell Vert, head of the White House Management and Budget Office (OMB), announced that the administration intends to freeze or cancel major projects previously authorized by Congress.
Trump has been candid about his intent to cut government operations during the shutdown. He remarked on Thursday that he would soon meet to assess which “democratic institutions” might face cuts, pondering whether these would be temporary or permanent.
“I can’t believe the radical left Democrats have given me this unprecedented opportunity,” he posted on his social media account.
Johnson stood by these partisan strategies, arguing that the power to make such choices was granted to Trump by voters in the previous election.
“The administration operates under its own priorities, not merely conforming to others,” Johnson noted. “This reflects the outcome of an election that people participated in.”
