House Speaker Mike Johnson has accused Democrats of failing to engage seriously in negotiations to end the federal government shutdown, now in its fifth day. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, Johnson stated that the House had passed a measure to keep the government funded, but it was now up to the Senate to act. He claimed Democrats were avoiding serious talks for political cover, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, whom he suggested fears a primary challenge from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries countered on the same programme, accusing Republicans of lying about Democratic positions on healthcare for undocumented immigrants. Jeffries said his party was standing up for hard-working American taxpayers and condemned recent comments by President Donald Trump, who called Democrats the 'party of hate, evil, and Satan' in a social media post. Jeffries described Trump's behaviour as 'outrageous' and 'unhinged', and said the American people deserve better than lies and attacks.
Talks between the parties have stalled, with no formal discussions for nearly a week. Jeffries stated that Republicans have gone 'radio silent' since a meeting last Monday, but reiterated Democratic willingness to negotiate at any time. A CBS poll found low support for the shutdown among voters of both parties, with only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans believing their party's positions warrant a shutdown.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett increased pressure on Democrats, warning that the Trump administration is preparing to start mass layoffs of federal workers if negotiations are deemed fruitless. Hassett expressed hope that Democrats would back down to avoid such layoffs. Speaker Johnson noted that President Trump does not want permanent job cuts, but the situation requires tough decisions from the Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to determine essential programmes and personnel.
