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House Republican leaders urged unity in their shutdown fight against Democrats on a call with GOP members Saturday morning, with members on the call backing up Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) move to cancel previously-scheduled votes next week as they aim to pressure Senate Democrats into accepting their “clean” seven-week funding bill.
There is some wiggle room in the schedule, though, if senators strike a deal that requires the House to return to Washington and pass a compromise. Leaders said they will give at least 48 hours notice before calling members back, according to sources on the call.
But as of now, Republicans believe they have the upper hand in the funding fight, and have no reason to bring House members back to Washington and distract from the action in the Senate.
“The House will come back into session and do its work as soon as [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer ([D-N.Y.)] allows us to reopen the government,” Johnson said in a press conference on Friday.
The government is set to remain shut down into next week, as Senate Democrats on Friday voted for the fourth time against a House-passed, “clean” continuing resolution to fund the government through Nov. 21.
Democrats have offered a counter-proposal, which has also repeatedly failed, as they press Republicans to negotiate on health care policy like extending the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
Republicans have said they will not negotiate on the health care subsidies until the government is open.
“We can’t make commitments or promises on the COVID subsidies, because that’s not something that we can guarantee that there are the votes there to do,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Friday. “What I said is, I’m hoping to have a conversation with our Democrat colleagues about how to address that issue … But that can’t happen while the government is shut down.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Friday that he would bring Democrats to Washington next week, even though there are no votes scheduled.
In a statement, he slammed Republicans for canceling votes — noting that it will delay the swearing-in of an Arizona Democrat who would be the last signature needed to circumvent GOP leadership and force a vote on a bill to release files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Speaker Johnson has canceled votes next week so House Republicans can continue their vacation, depriving Americans of affordable healthcare, preventing the swearing-in of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva and stopping the release of the Epstein Files,” Jeffries said.
“Meanwhile, the government remains closed and healthcare costs are going up for millions of Americans,” he continued. “It’s time for Republicans to get back to work so we can reopen the government, cancel the cuts, lower the cost and save healthcare.”
