This content has been adapted from the October 21episode of Morning Joe.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is sticking to his stance of not swearing in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva from Arizona. On Monday, he spoke to reporters at Capitol Hill claiming he was willing and eager to swear her in, but the ongoing government shutdown was preventing him from doing so.
As Johnson stated, In the meantime, instead of making TikTok videos, she should be focusing on her constituents. She should be answering their calls and assisting them through the challenges caused by the Democrats’ decision to shut down the government.
Honestly, I can’t believe how increasingly absurd the speaker’s comments are. No matter what justification he offers for delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in, it’s the people from Arizona’s 7th Congressional District who are suffering the consequences.
She’s unable to take calls, lacks an official congressional office, and can’t help her future constituents — and this is all because Johnson refuses to swear her in.
This situation illustrates one reason why Republicans are struggling in this political landscape. I’ve been saying it since the start; deep down we all knew Donald Trump and his party were destined to face repercussions for the foolishness of this shutdown.
The reality is, Republicans typically bear the blame for these government shutdowns. As a former Republican lawmaker during a shutdown, I remember that despite striving to do what was right and eventually balancing the budget, we still got pegged with the blame.
But now, it’s apparent that Republicans aren’t choosing the right course. Thousands of federal workers and U.S. military personnel are rendering services daily without receiving their pay, all while Congress members are off the grid. In my days in the House, we would have rallied back to Capitol Hill, holding press conferences to urge our speaker to reconvene and resolve this issue.
The public is fully aware that Republicans hold the key to ending this shutdown. They recognize that Johnson could easily introduce a bill today to ensure that our military members, air traffic controllers, and the attentive workforce receive the wages they rightfully deserve.
An Ipsos/Reuters survey illustrates that 72% of Americans support extending subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance. This indicates a clear majority aligns with the Democrats, opposing Republicans on the key issue fueling this shutdown.
Moreover, another AP-NORC poll revealed that just 30% of Americans think the country is on the right track, while a whopping 69% feel we’re heading in the opposite direction. This is bleak news for Republicans, who are currently in control of both Congressional chambers and the presidency.
For a long time, it hasn’t been common for Democrats to say they’re on the right side in polling, but this time they can lay claim to that victory.
This piece was previously shared on MSNBC.com
