WASHINGTON — On Day 20 of the Democrat Shutdown, Speaker Johnson held a press conference alongside House GOP Leadership, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, and Rep. Chip Roy to urge Senate Democrats — now that they have their political cover from the Far-Left — to do the responsible thing and vote to reopen the government.
“Now that Democrats have had their protests and publicity stunts, I just pray that they come to their senses and end this shutdown and reopen the government this week,” Speaker Johnson said. “Republicans are waiting. The American people are waiting. And we are ready to act.
Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.
On Democrats creating the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history:
Since the Democrats recklessly shut down the United States government, the Democrats are making some very costly history here. Don’t lose that in all that’s happening. This is now the third longest shutdown in history. And when you look at it carefully, it is now already the longest full shutdown of all time. You had an example in 2018, and you had one back in 1995 that were longer, but they were partial shutdowns because they only affected a part of the federal government. This is everything. And it’s also important for us to note this is the first time in history that any party has had the audacity to shut down the government over a totally clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution. This is a political stunt, and it’s the first time it’s been done. It is the most costly, most selfish, most dangerous political stunt in the history of the United States Congress.
Because as we have stood here day after day after day, explaining about all the Americans who are being harmed by this nonsense, the Senate Democrats have zero shame about this. They don’t have any shame at all about the pain that they’re inflicting upon hardworking families, upon soldiers and law enforcement officers and veterans, the elderly and the disabled, women, infants, and children. Services to all those categories and paychecks to those folks are being stalled because Democrats are playing games today. Leader Thune in the Senate will once again bring the clean, nonpartisan CR to the floor for a vote. They will have another chance. Democrats will have their 12th opportunity to pass the bill. It is the same bill that they themselves supported just seven months ago. And Chuck Schumer gave impassioned speeches on the floor about how it was the only option. And don’t forget they did it 13 times under the Biden Administration.
On the great irony of the “No Kings” protests:
Something’s changed over the weekend. We saw what it was all about; the Democrats made crystal clear that this is about politics. The politics were on full display. The spectacle is what the mobs, the crowds, the rallies this week were all about. It was quite ironic though. The irony was very glaring. They called it the “No Kings” rally. But the great irony, of course, that we pointed out over and over, was if President Trump was a king, the government would be open. If President Trump was a king, he would’ve closed the national parks and the National Mall so they couldn’t have had the rally out here. By the way, that’s what President Obama did during the shutdown in 2013, closed all the parks and the National Mall.
Here in Washington, you had Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Murphy and Cory Booker and others marching in the streets. Now, these are the same Senators who voted over and over to shut down the legislative branch and hand the reins to President Trump. They’re decrying the situation that they themselves created. This has always been about the spectacle. Chuck Schumer and himself joined the spectacle in New York City. And it’s interesting to note his activities there. He was standing side by side some of the most radical groups that maybe ever assembled on our soil. They openly advertised as co-sponsors of the event in New York City, the Communist Party USA, the Democratic Socialists of America, the Freedom Socialist Party, the Young Communist League of New York. Many others. Do we need any further evidence? They’re not hiding this. They’re out in the open. They’re not shy about it, because this is the core constituency of the modern Democrat Party.
On Democrats being in disarray:
You’ve got a few reasonable Democrats who know shutdowns hurt the people and they’ve already voted for our bill. They want to keep the government open. Then you’ve got others desperate to prop up the failures of Obamacare with no reforms whatsoever to make the program more affordable. That’s what we’re fighting for. You’ve got AOC calling for her own negotiations on live TV, and you’ve got Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries still unable to articulate what it is they need to reopen the government.
It illustrates the point once again; this was never about a solution. It was about creating an issue. Now that Democrats have had their protests and publicity stunts, I just pray that they come to their senses and end this shutdown and reopen the government this week. Republicans are waiting. The American people are waiting. And we are ready to act.
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