Speaker Mike Johnson: It’ll Be Up to Congressional Democrats to Stave Off Federal Shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted that Democrats in Congress must take responsibility for preventing a federal government shutdown on October 1, specifically pointing to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“The ball will be in their corner,” Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Tuesday. “We’ve been moving forward on appropriations. We’ll be gathering steam to do that. We do not believe it’s in the nation’s interest to close the government down. So, if [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer, and the Democrats have that in mind, I think that’s deeply regrettable.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill are also weighing a short-term funding extension, which would compel Democrats to support it or risk being blamed for a shutdown. Some Republicans, however, oppose this stopgap measure.

Democrats, for their part, have pushed back against GOP spending cuts in the so-called “megabill” signed by President Donald Trump, which reduced funding for healthcare programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. They argue that the bill’s stricter work requirements and tighter eligibility rules unfairly target vulnerable Americans. Republicans counter that the changes are needed after widespread evidence of fraud and abuse within the system.

While Medicaid and the ACA are not legally permitted to cover illegal immigrants under federal law, some blue states fund similar coverage with state dollars. The GOP bill discourages this practice by cutting federal reimbursements to states that extend such benefits.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has emphasized the need for a bipartisan deal. He said he and Johnson had conversations about “kitchen table economic issues, healthcare, public safety, and national security,” but made his stance clear: “In that conversation, I also made clear we’re not going to support partisan funding legislation. Period. Full stop.”

Earlier this year, Schumer broke with Jeffries by negotiating a funding deal out of concern that a shutdown would allow the Trump administration to weaken the federal workforce.

“We’re not going to find ourselves in a situation where Republicans at the 11th Hour, present a partisan spending bill that hurts everyday Americans,” Jeffries told reporters.

President Trump has said Republicans are prepared to back a funding extension, though he expressed doubt that Democrats would support it.