Speaker Johnson Blames Shutdown on Schumer Bowing to ‘Marxist Wing’ of Democratic Party

Calling it “madness,” the House speaker, Mike Johnson, is warning that partial paychecks going to federal workers this week will be their last until the government shutdown ends.During a Friday press conference, Mr. Johnson blamed the situation on Senator Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats.Some 750,000 federal employees are now idled without pay while many others — including members of the military and those in other essential roles like air traffic controllers — are required to work without regular paychecks.“You’ve got millions of American families who will now have to figure out how to make their mortgage, how to cover their rent, pay the car note, put food on the table because Democrats Chuck Schumer and his colleagues in the Senate are here playing games,” Mr. Johnson said.“Republicans are not playing games here,” Mr. Johnson added. “We’re doing the job in making sure the American people are taken care of.”Mr. Johnson claims that Mr. Schumer is bowing to the “Marxist wing” of the Democratic Party by continuing to support the shutdown.“Chuck Schumer is hurting real Americans for his own political survival,” Mr. Johnson said.Democrats are demanding an extension of Covid-era health subsidies that expire at the end of the year in exchange for their approval of a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government until December.The end of the subsidies could more than double the price millions of Americans pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.Voters of both parties could find health insurance unaffordable, a point not lost on Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has broken with a majority of her Republican colleagues and is calling for the issue to be addressed.The House has been out of session for three weeks since lawmakers approved a bill to temporarily fund the federal government.Mr. Johnson claims he sent House members home instead of keeping them in Washington because they are needed in their districts to work with constituents due to the shutdown.“We will come back here and get back to legislative session as soon as the Senate Democrats turn the lights back on,” Mr. Johnson says.When asked about bringing a separate bill to pay members of the military during the shutdown, Mr. Johnson said it wasn’t necessary because the funding is in the bill already approved by the House.

Speaker Johnson Blames Shutdown on Schumer Bowing to ‘Marxist Wing’ of Democratic Party

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