House Speaker’s Accusations Over Government Shutdown
On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on Fox News, accusing Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of deliberately pushing for a government shutdown to satisfy the far-left elements of his party.
President Donald Trump had a meeting scheduled, but both sides left without reaching an agreement. Congressional leaders and Democrats sought medical concessions, while Republicans pressed for a straightforward fundraising extension. In his appearance on “Hannity,” Johnson criticized Democrats for refusing to turn down what he termed “radical” requests. These included restoring benefits for undocumented immigrants eliminated in a previous legislative package, funding for progressive media outlets, and approving a $1.5 trillion plan that would only keep the government funded for seven weeks.
“They came hoping to negotiate reasonably,” Johnson stated, “but they’ve dug in their heels. It’s clear they are more concerned with their political safety.”
He further asserted that Democrats are willing to inflict severe harm on the country for their own political gain, saying, “They’ve expressed their willingness to do whatever it takes for political cover. They haven’t budged on those demands. You were right, Sean; we’ve already eliminated those with our previous package. They want to reinstate support for NPR and PBS and are asking for $500 million.”
Johnson also mentioned that Democrats aim to attach partisan spending to a $1.5 trillion suspension bill.
“We’re not going to allow that. Taxpayer money shouldn’t fund left-leaning media. They want to spend $1.5 trillion for a simple seven-week funding extension, just so our budget can resume paying for the government,” he added.
Just last week, Trump canceled a planned meeting with top Democrats, dismissing what he termed their “indifferent and ridiculous demands,” just days before a possible government shutdown. Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the House Democrats, wanted a sit-down with Trump, but he indicated that an agreement was unlikely under their conditions.
Senate Republicans will require some Democratic support to surpass the 60-vote filibuster threshold to pass the funding bill. The House has already approved a GOP-supported suspension, but nearly all Democrats opposed it. If lawmakers fail to reach a deal by midnight on September 30th, the government risks a shutdown.
