It’s Day 22 of the government shutdown, and House Speaker Mike Johnson is feeling the pressure. Despite sticking to his usual script—placing the blame squarely on Democrats for not keeping the government open—he recently admitted that the Republican messaging is starting to sound a bit stale. A change in approach might be on the horizon.
“We’re now facing the second-longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, and frankly, it’s just embarrassing. The Democrats are making their mark in history, but for all the wrong reasons,” he commented during his daily press briefing at the Capitol.
Johnson faced questions about a recent GOP conference call where Texas Representative Beth Van Duyne suggested that it might be time for him to call House members back to Washington.
“That’s not quite true,” Johnson refuted. “What she mentioned was that the message feels outdated, and I totally agree— we’re repeating ourselves every single day.”
Still, he claimed that House Republicans are almost completely united—around 99.8%—in refusing to negotiate with Democrats until the government receives funding, but noted their eagerness to get back to work.
“People aren’t foolish, and we come here every day trying to use common sense and share the facts. Thankfully, those facts are getting through to them,” he asserted.
With more than 42% of the time allotted by the House-passed continuing resolution gone as of now and this shutdown marking the second-longest in U.S. history, Johnson hinted that it may be necessary to call members back soon.
“The timeline is slipping away because of this political nonsense from the Democrats,” Johnson claimed. “As we inch closer to November, it’s going to be increasingly tough to nail down the necessary appropriations on time. We’re making these decisions on a day-by-day basis.”
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed his hopes that the shutdown would come to an end before the month wraps up, though he’s still standing firm on demanding $1.5 trillion.
“Republicans have been lounging around for four straight weeks. And of course, Donald Trump is about to jet off on another international trip,” he said, referencing the president’s upcoming voyage to Asia for key summits with global leaders.
Jeffries pressed Johnson and the Republicans to return to the negotiating table to sort out the budget and tackle the health care crisis that has arisen due to their resistance against enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Many Americans are now looking down the barrel of rising premiums.
When asked about Trump saying he’d only talk health care after the shutdown ends, Jeffries criticized him for not engaging with Democrats.
“Donald Trump has spent more time on the golf course than reaching out to Democrats on the Hill to get the government back up and running and put a bipartisan spending agreement in place, along with finding solutions for the health care mess they’ve created,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries downplayed a question regarding Democrats leveraging the shutdown for health care negotiations, particularly following a statement from House Minority Whip Katherine Clark about the shutdown serving as one of the Republicans’ few bargaining chips, given their minority status in both chambers.
“This isn’t a strategy game for us,” Jeffries clarified. “Mike Johnson and the Republicans keep framing it as about strategy. Our only focus as Democrats is genuinely making a positive impact on the lives of everyday Americans, as they surely deserve much more than what’s been handed to them by Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA followers.”
A recent Quinnipiac University poll indicates that 45% of registered voters believe Congress’ Republicans are more at fault for the shutdown, compared to 39% who think it’s the Democrats. Eleven percent said both parties share the blame equally.
