House Speaker Mike Johnson Adjusts Schedule to Pressure Senate Democrats on Government Shutdown
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is adjusting the House schedule to pressure Senate Democrats into accepting a Republican-backed bill to end the government shutdown. The House will not hold votes next week, as Johnson aims to push Democrats to support a clean bill to keep the government running for seven more weeks. Despite Democrats rejecting the bill multiple times, Johnson is determined to keep the pressure on them.
Johnson's decision to designate Oct. 7-13 as a "district work period" was announced during a House session on Friday. This move follows Johnson's strategy to use the House schedule to influence Senate Democrats to vote for the continuing resolution. The House will resume its work once Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer allows the government to reopen, according to Johnson.
This is the second time Johnson has canceled votes to push Senate Democrats to accept the GOP's clean bill. The decision to keep the House out of session is a departure from earlier plans. House Republicans are set to convene for a member call on Saturday morning, indicating a coordinated effort to maintain pressure on Democrats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has also expressed his intention to bring House Democrats back next week. The decision to cancel votes next week serves the dual purpose of delaying a procedural move to force a vote on releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Republican leaders and President Trump oppose this move, citing ongoing investigations in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Despite the ongoing government shutdown, Johnson's focus remains on leveraging the House schedule to influence Senate Democrats. The decision to cancel votes next week aligns with the GOP's strategy to maintain pressure on Democrats and delay contentious procedural actions in the House. The political maneuvering surrounding the government shutdown and the Epstein files underscores the partisan divide in Congress.