House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is tightening the screws on Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer, keeping the pressure squarely on the left as the government shutdown enters its fourth week — with no end in sight.
On Friday, the House clerk announced that Johnson designated October 20–23 as a “district work period,” meaning lawmakers will stay in their home states. There will be no votes or hearings during that time — a move designed to keep Democrats in the hot seat and focus the nation’s frustration on the Senate, where Schumer’s obstruction has stalled the GOP’s funding plan.
The Republican-led House already passed a common-sense funding bill on September 19, a seven-week continuing resolution to temporarily extend government funding and give Congress time to strike a longer-term deal for fiscal year 2026.
But Democrats are digging in, demanding a costly extension of Obamacare subsidies — pandemic-era handouts that expire in December. These subsidies, a holdover from Biden’s failed COVID spending spree, have driven premiums and national debt higher, leaving taxpayers footing the bill.
Johnson and President Trump’s America-First allies argue that Democrats are playing politics with Americans’ livelihoods. Republicans have offered to discuss healthcare reforms later, but only after the short-term funding bill passes without partisan riders.
“If we have a viable path, yes,” Johnson said when asked if the House would return to vote on a Senate measure. “But I suspect the Democrats will bat it down again.”
Even with the House unified behind Johnson’s leadership, a handful of moderate Republicans voiced unease over the extended recess. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) told MSNBC the long break “only serves further distrust,” but ultimately blamed Schumer and Senate Democrats for the stalemate. Rep. Dave Valadao (R-Calif.) echoed that sentiment, saying he was “torn” but noted, “the Senate put us in this position.”
Meanwhile, Democrats like Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) accused Johnson of “keeping Congress absent” — a charge conservatives say is laughable, given that Democrats have spent weeks blocking every funding bill that doesn’t include massive welfare expansions.
In the Senate, Schumer is now scrambling to save face by planning a standalone vote to pay essential workers and military members during the shutdown — a move Republicans call a publicity stunt to distract from his failure to pass real funding.
For now, Johnson’s strategy is working:
- Keep the spotlight on Democrat dysfunction,
- Keep the GOP unified, and
- Let the American people see who’s really keeping the government closed.
Under Trump’s leadership, Republicans are standing firm — and Chuck Schumer is feeling the heat.