On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) firmly rejected any standalone legislation aimed at compensating federal employees or financing support programs during the government shutdown.
These rejected proposals included salaries for federal workers as well as essential funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is on track to see all benefits cease after November 1.
During a press briefing, Johnson stated, “We voted on September 19 to fund all these crucial areas, and almost all Democrats in the House voted against it.” He added, “They’re merely playing political games. Recently, there was a bill on the floor proposing to pay the troops and essential employees, which the Democrats voted against.”
He went on explaining why pursuing such bills again would be pointless: “It would just be us going through the same process repeatedly in the House, which will end up in Chuck’s [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s] hands, where he is likely to disregard it. It’s simply a waste of our efforts.”
The ongoing shutdown is now the second-longest in U.S. history, reaching its 28th day on Tuesday, and the Senate made its 13th attempt to resume government operations in a vote as well.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has urged her fellow Republicans to consider utilizing the “nuclear option” to attempt to end the shutdown. Greene remarked that, while there are ideas floating around on how to solve the situation, she hasn’t seen any concrete plans shared amongst her and her colleagues.
In a post on the social media platform X, she expressed frustration for the House not convening to push through their initiatives alongside President Biden’s executive orders. She demanded clarity from Speaker Johnson regarding the Republican strategy for healthcare to transition away from Obamacare and make health insurance sustainable for Americans.
As millions may lose their SNAP benefits soon, Democratic leaders from 25 states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, attempting to safeguard this essential program.
The suit emphasizes that “the agency cannot indefinitely cut all benefits while choosing not to utilize available funds for SNAP benefits for qualifying households,” according to the legal documents.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
