Washington is stuck in a legislative quagmire as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., digs in his heels, canceling House votes for a fourth straight week in a bold standoff over government funding.
With the threat of a government shutdown looming, Johnson’s strategy targets Senate Democrats, particularly Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as the impasse over federal spending stretches past a month without resolution, Fox News reported.
This saga kicked off on Sept. 19, when the House last passed a Republican-backed funding measure, only to see it repeatedly shot down by Senate Democrats a dozen times since.
That same day marked the last time lawmakers gathered for regular business, leaving the Capitol eerily quiet as both sides refuse to budge.
Republicans, led by Johnson, are pushing for a temporary funding extension through late November, aiming to buy time for a broader fiscal agreement.
Democrats, however, are holding firm, demanding that any spending bill include an extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies from the pandemic era, set to lapse soon.
Johnson’s latest move to scrap votes was declared during a brief pro forma session on a recent Friday, a procedural necessity to keep government continuity even as no real work gets done.
These pro forma gatherings, held every few days as required by the Constitution, allow for minor actions like speeches or bill introductions, but they’re a far cry from solving this mess.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., didn’t mince words, accusing House Republicans of being "on vacation for the last four weeks."
Jeffries’ jab might sting, but let’s be real—sitting on the sidelines isn’t a vacation when the stakes are a shuttered government; it’s a calculated risk to force Senate Democrats to blink first.
Most Republicans are backing Johnson’s playbook, though cracks are showing with dissenters like Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., openly questioning the approach.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, added fuel to the internal debate, noting on a recent GOP call that "the longer that we are out, the messaging is starting to get old."
Van Duyne’s point hits a nerve—dragging this out risks looking like stubbornness rather than principle, especially when progressive agendas aren’t the only thing stalling progress; it’s also about public perception.
Behind closed doors, multiple House lawmakers have voiced unease during private calls with Johnson, with some like Van Duyne arguing a return to Washington might strengthen their hand in this high-stakes poker game.
Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., offered a glimmer of compromise, suggesting that if the Senate passed a straightforward funding bill, "there are some options on the table that we can pursue to get things back on track."
