Mike Johnson pressures Chuck Schumer and shuts down the House

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., canceled votes in the House of Representatives for a fourth straight week as the government shutdown shows no signs of ending.

Johnson’s move is part of his strategy of continued pressure on Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who have derailed the Republican Party’s federal funding plan 12 times since Sept. 19, when the House passed the measure.

Sept. 19 was also the House’s last day in session, meaning lawmakers have largely been in their home districts for more than a month.

Republicans are pushing for a short-term extension of fiscal 2025 spending levels until Nov. 21 — called a continuing resolution (CR) — aimed at giving congressional negotiators time to reach a longer-term deal for fiscal 2026.

Screaming match breaks out between HAKEEM JEFFRIES and MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES

House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, overturns House votes to pressure Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, left, for refusing to accept a GOP-led plan to avoid a government shutdown. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Democrats, furious at being sidelined from federal funding discussions, were refuse their support for any spending bill that does not also extend the COVID-19 pandemic-era boosted Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year.

Johnson’s decision was made public Friday afternoon during a brief pro forma session on the House floor. Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days, called “pro forma” sessions, to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.

Pro forma sessions can also be an opportunity for legislators to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have been able to do.

Democrats criticized Johnson’s decision, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling reporters that House Republicans had been “on vacation for four weeks.”

The government is paralyzed after Congress fails to reach an agreement on federal funding. (Getty Images)

Republicans, however, have remained largely united behind Johnson as the shutdown continues.

“I mean, if all of a sudden the Senate wants to pass a clean CR, I imagine there are options on the table that we can pursue to get things back on track,” said Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., who presided over the House chamber Friday.

“I ultimately defer to (leaders’) decisions about the timeline. But right now I don’t see any signs that we need to change what’s been proposed.”

But there were several notable defections. Both Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., have been publicly vocal about their criticism of Johnson’s strategy for weeks.

“I strongly believe it’s a bad decision,” Kiley told MSNBC earlier this week, adding that House lawmakers weren’t “doing everything we’re supposed to do” other than figuring out how to end the shutdown.

BATTLEFIELD REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSES DEMS FOR STOP

Rep. Kevin Kiley, seen in August 2023, criticized Johnson’s shutdown strategy. (Scott Strazzante-Pool/Getty Images)

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Several House lawmakers have also raised concerns about being out of session during private weekly calls Johnson holds with members of the GOP conference.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, was the latest House Republican to suggest the GOP could be in a stronger position if returned to Washington, Fox News Digital has learned.

“I think the longer we stay away, the message starts to get old,” Van Duyne told his House Republican colleagues during their Tuesday call.