House Speaker Johnson Criticizes Democrats as Government Shutdown Nears End

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been vocal about the ongoing government shutdown, attributing the blame primarily to Democrats, who he says have voted multiple times to keep the government closed over disagreements including healthcare provisions for illegal immigrants. While President Trump has urged the Senate to consider using the "nuclear option" to eliminate the filibuster and quickly reopen the government, Johnson has publicly broken with Trump on this issue, emphasizing the filibuster as an important safeguard against certain Democratic measures such as Supreme Court expansion or D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood. Johnson defended Trump’s stance on the filibuster and the administration’s policy on SNAP benefits, explaining that legal barriers prevent the use of contingency funds to fully cover November payments without legislative approval. Additionally, Johnson supported Trump’s policy of striking drug boats at sea, describing it as a necessary action to protect the homeland from narco-terrorism. The Speaker continues to call for bipartisan cooperation to pass a clean resolution to reopen the government and fund necessary programs without escalating political battles.