House Speaker Mike Johnson Condemns Democratic Obstruction Over Government Shutdown

By Newsmax Wires | Sunday, 02 November 2025 03:52 PM EST
Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday rejected claims blaming President Donald Trump for the ongoing government shutdown, accusing Democrats of “digging in their heels” to protect partisan spending while Republicans have repeatedly voted to reopen the government.

“We reject all of this,” the Louisiana Republican said on “Fox News Sunday.” “This isn’t about winning a political contest here. Real people are losing.” Johnson alleged that Democrats have “voted 14 times now to keep the government closed — to block SNAP benefits, to prevent paying the troops.” He further accused them of “shutting the government down over restoring free healthcare for illegal aliens as part of their $1.5 trillion partisan wish list.”

Johnson highlighted the growing impact on ordinary Americans, citing millions of families relying on food assistance and other aid programs. “Forty-two million recipients of SNAP are in jeopardy right now,” he said. He added that “women, infants, and children are running out of funds from the nutrition programs that President Trump and the White House have heroically funded so far.”

Asked about Trump’s recent calls for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, Johnson acknowledged the president’s frustration, stating, “He’s a big-hearted president who wants everyone to get their services — veterans’ care, SNAP benefits, all of it.” He noted that Trump has “tried everything he can to negotiate” but criticized the filibuster as a tool “to block the worst impulses of the far left.”

Johnson dismissed Democrat claims that Trump is “using people as pawns,” calling the accusation “absurd.” He argued that Republicans have offered “clean bills to fund the government,” while Democrats are leveraging the shutdown “as leverage to please their far-left base.” He accused Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of “weaponizing hunger” and ignoring bipartisan solutions.

On healthcare, Johnson refuted criticism from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene about GOP health reform plans, stating that strategy details cannot be shared publicly due to leaks. He claimed Republicans have “published 60 or 70 pages of reform ideas years ago” and are finalizing a plan to lower premiums, blaming Democrats for rising costs since the creation of Obamacare.

Regarding foreign policy, Johnson defended U.S. strikes on drug-running vessels, calling them legally justified and necessary to protect the homeland from “narcoterrorists.” He compared the threat to al-Qaida, stating such actions could save “tens of thousands of Americans.”

Johnson also denied allegations that he delayed seating Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva to block votes on Jeffrey Epstein documents, calling the claim “ridiculous.” He stated Grijalva will be sworn in when Congress resumes and noted the House Oversight Committee has already released 43,000 pages of Epstein-related records. “We are for maximum transparency — always have been,” he said.