Government shutdown live updates as stalemate continues with Senate set to reconvene

At a press conference at the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson railed against Democrats for their posture in the funding fight Monday morning, saying that his colleagues across the aisle “are in a relentless effort to spin the facts.” 

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, outlined the process to fund the government, noting it takes time to negotiate and pass all 12 full-year funding bills before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. He said appropriators “ran out of time,” prompting Republicans to do “the responsible thing” by putting forward a seven-week funding measure to allow appropriators to finish their work.

Johnson said Republicans expected Senate Democrats to approve the continuing resolution to fund the government, citing the party’s previous aversion to letting the government shut down. But Democrats changed their tune.

The Louisiana Republican accused Democrats of creating a “red herring,” deciding to “pick a fight on health care.” 

“None of their policies are very popular, so they decided to lob onto health care,” Johnson said. 

Johnson stressed that the House-passed continuing resolution would “keep the lights on” so that the debate over health care can continue, calling it a “very complicated” issue that lawmakers need time to find consensus around.

For now, Johnson reiterated, “there’s nothing for the House to negotiate” and that the lower chamber “has done its job.”

“The ball is in the court of the Senate Democrats,” Johnson said.