House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) closed the door on House Republicans entering discussions to alter the short-term spending deal passed by the House in mid-September, saying the consequences of the bill not passing are “100%” Democrats’ fault.
During House GOP leadership’s second press conference since the start of the government shutdown on Wednesday, Johnson and Republican leaders amped up messaging that the closing of federal agencies and the layoffs that come with it should be blamed on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Democrats have insisted that Republicans return to the table to negotiate a bipartisan continuing resolution, but GOP leaders have rebuffed those calls. Instead, they are accusing Democrats of holding the government “hostage” and “hijacking” the funding process to get what they want.
“Don’t ask the Republicans what we should be doing or what we should be negotiating,” the speaker said Thursday. “I don’t have anything to negotiate.”
“There is nothing I can pull out of the bill that was a Republican priority to say, ‘Oh, we won’t do that. Why don’t you guys vote for it now?’ … I’m stunned they have decided to shut the government down and hurt people. It is on them, 100%,” Johnson added.
Republicans have attempted to force Democrats to support the House-passed CR, which punts the funding deadline to Nov. 21. Johnson kept the House out of session this week, putting the pressure on Senate Democrats to cave. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has put the GOP plan up for a vote three times as of Thursday as he looks to pick off more Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold to end the filibuster.
If Democrats do not back the GOP plan to reopen the government, Johnson said President Donald Trump can exert more political pain by clawing back federal funds on Democratic priorities and laying off workers. Schumer would be giving Trump the “keys to the kingdom” to enact federal cuts, the speaker said.
White House officials said Wednesday that the layoffs of numerous federal workers are “imminent,” and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday there would “likely” be “thousands” of layoffs.
Already, cuts affecting Democratic priorities and programs are going into effect. Vought announced on Wednesday that nearly $8 billion in funding for green energy projects, spanning 16 states, would be canceled. The director also said the Trump administration would place $18 billion in funding on hold for infrastructure projects in New York City, which would significantly affect major projects for the home state and city of Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Johnson noted that much of the responsibility for layoffs and budget cuts comes from Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, whom the speaker said “does this reluctantly.”
And, Johnson said, “the president takes no pleasure in this. The president did not want to shut down.”
However, Trump said in a post to Truth Social that he is meeting with Vought on Thursday “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies … he recommends be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”
“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” Trump said.
Johnson admitted that some of the cuts may be politically driven.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ASK FOR PAY TO BE WITHHELD DURING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
“The White House, the executive branch, take no pleasure in this, but when they are tasked with determining what the priorities are, obviously, they’re going to follow their principles and priorities and not the other team,” Johnson said. “That’s the results of an election that everybody voted in.”
The House and Senate will be relatively quiet on Thursday. Members have left Capitol Hill in recognition of Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday, so Friday will be the next chance for lawmakers to reopen the government. Senate Republicans are expected to bring the GOP continuing resolution up again, but if there have not been any negotiations or agreements with Democrats, it is likely to fail for the fourth time.
