Senate Democrats on Monday voted to block a House-passed stopgap funding bill meant to end the partial government shutdown, the fifth time they have rejected the GOP proposal in two weeks.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Newsmax on Monday he is skeptical the stalemate will be resolved this week, even as Republicans press daily votes and public pressure mounts.
“I hope it ends this week, but I’m doubtful,” Johnson told “Finnerty,” adding he expects Democrats to “drag this out a little bit further to try to make this point.”
The shutdown, squeezing federal agencies and threatening furloughs and delays in service, has left lawmakers trading blame after Senate Democrats repeatedly refused to advance the simple funding resolution sent over by the House. The measure would have kept the government running through Nov. 21 while lawmakers negotiated broader spending priorities.
Johnson argued some Senate Democrats privately want an exit from the impasse because they fear the political and economic fallout, but he said they are simultaneously terrified of angering the far-left flank of their party.
“I can tell you that there’s a number of Senate Democrats that are terrified of the situation,” Johnson said. “They have painted themselves into a corner. They do not want the government shut down because they know real people are experiencing real pain, and they will ultimately be blamed for it because we’re going to continue to put them on the record.
“It’s Democrats voting to shut the government down. Republicans are voting to open it. The facts are the facts. As John Adams said, facts are stubborn things. So, I think the longer this drags on, I think people will look to see who’s actually casting those votes and they can’t hide from it. They want a way out, but they’re terrified of the far-left fringe of their base. The Marxists are rising up.”
Johnson reiterated the GOP position that the House “did the work” by passing a 24-page continuing resolution on Sept. 19 to avoid a government shutdown. He said reopening must come before negotiations over policy changes such as healthcare subsidies. He accused the mainstream media of repeating Democratic talking points and pledged continued Republican messaging to put Democrats on the record as the shutdown drags on.
“There are some Democrats on Capitol Hill, believe it or not, who are trying to apply common sense,” he said. “They don’t want to shut the government down. They’re trying to get out of this trap, and they’re bringing us ideas on things that we might be able to resolve. But all of that comes after they vote to reopen this government. And that’s what we’ve got to be insistent about.”
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