Johnson raises shutdown stakes on Schumer as food stamp deadline, Obamacare cliff loom
The ongoing government shutdown, now in its sixth week, is becoming increasingly contentious as Speaker Mike Johnson applies pressure on Senate Democrats by keeping the House out of session. This shutdown is already the second-longest in U.S. history, poised to surpass the 35-day record set during the 2018-2019 closure. Despite the urgency of the situation, Senate Democrats have rejected the GOP’s short-term federal funding plan 13 times, revealing a significant deadlock in negotiations. As funding for essential programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program hangs in the balance, millions of Americans who rely on these services face uncertainty. With funding expected to run dry this weekend, the stakes are high, and the Senate’s decision to leave Washington without passing a funding bill adds to the chaos.
Johnson’s strategy involves keeping the House out of session since passing a funding bill on September 19, which has drawn criticism from Democrats who feel sidelined in the negotiations. Republicans have proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that extends current funding levels for seven weeks and includes bipartisan security funding provisions. However, Democrats are pushing for the inclusion of enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire without congressional action. As open enrollment for health insurance begins this weekend, Democrats hope this deadline will pressure Republicans into making concessions. Despite Johnson’s insistence that the House cannot reconvene until Democrats agree to end the shutdown, dissent is surfacing among House Republicans. Notably, some members, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Dan Crenshaw, have begun to question the effectiveness of this strategy, indicating that the prolonged shutdown may be causing more harm than good for the GOP’s standing.
As the situation develops, the impact on vulnerable populations grows more severe. If SNAP funding is not restored, approximately 42 million Americans who depend on food stamps could see their benefits vanish, while programs like Head Start, which supports low-income families with childcare, also face imminent funding shortages. The political impasse not only threatens critical support for millions but also highlights the increasing frustration within the Republican Party itself. With both sides firmly entrenched in their positions and the clock ticking down, the path forward remains uncertain, raising questions about the potential for compromise in an increasingly polarized political landscape.
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Speaker Mike Johnson is hiking pressure on Senate Democrats by keeping the House out of session for a sixth straight week.
The ongoing
government shutdown
is the second-longest in history and less than a week out from shattering another record, with the 2018-2019 shutdown lasting nearly 35 days.
Senate Democrats have shot down the GOP’s short-term federal funding plan 13 times, and while some glimmers of hope for compromise are beginning to show, leaders on both sides of the aisle have not signaled any wiggle room from their positions.
Meanwhile, funding for critical programs that millions of American families rely on is expected to run dry this weekend, with the Senate leaving Washington until Monday after failing to pass the funding bill yet again.
BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN
Federal dollars for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are expected to run dry starting Saturday, meaning some
42 million Americans
who depend on food stamps may begin to see their benefits temporarily disappear.
Two separate judges ordered the Trump administration to partially or fully resume funding SNAP via the program’s emergency fund, which has some $5 billion according to Democrats, but it’s not immediately clear if the administration will comply or whether it could do so by Nov. 1.
Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), which provides support for pregnant mothers and children under age 5, is also in danger of running dry even despite the Trump administration moving funding around to accommodate it earlier this month.
The Head Start program, which funds childcare for low-income families with young children, is also likely to run out of money this weekend.
Republicans’ measure, called a continuing resolution (CR), is a mostly flat seven-week extension of current federal funding levels. It also includes $88 million in security funding for lawmakers, the White House and the judicial branch — which has bipartisan support.
But Democrats in the House and Senate were infuriated by being sidelined in federal funding talks.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
They have been pushing for an extension of Obamacare subsidies enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those enhancements would expire by the end of 2025 without congressional action.
Republican leaders have signaled openness to discussions about reforming and enhancing those healthcare credits but are rejecting Democrats’ demand to include them in the CR.
Democrats have been hoping that the looming
open enrollment start date
, also coming Saturday, could pressure Republicans into making concessions.
Johnson has kept the House out of session since passing the bill on Sept. 19. Democrats have criticized the move almost daily, accusing the GOP leader of keeping Republicans “on vacation” while the government is shut down.
But Johnson has maintained that the House cannot resume its work until Democrats end the shutdown. He’s instead directed Republicans to remain in their districts to communicate the effects of the shutdown and help their constituents better navigate it.
The vast majority of House Republicans have remained united on the strategy, but cracks have started to show as the shutdown drags on.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, all heaped doubt on the plan with varying degrees of frustration during a House GOP lawmaker-only call on Tuesday, Fox News Digital was told.
Greene and Kiley have been making their criticisms of Johnson’s strategy clear for weeks, but Crenshaw appears to be the newest GOP lawmaker to express doubts.
“I’m no longer convinced that staying out of session has benefits that outweigh the costs,” Crenshaw said, Fox News Digital was told.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
