On Tuesday, mere moments before the federal government closed its doors after Congress failed to pass an extension, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) of deliberately allowing the shutdown.
Speaking on CNN’s The Source, Johnson labeled Schumer’s actions “extremely selfish,” saying the senator chose to keep the government shuttered for personal or political reasons.
Johnson argued that when Republicans were the minority party they provided votes to avert shutdowns because they did not want to harm Americans. He said Democrats’ Senate leader has now “unilaterally” decided to leave the government closed, a move Johnson described as both stunning and selfish.
The speaker stressed that House Republicans did not load the continuing resolution with partisan policy riders. He said they could have added such provisions but refrained, acting in good faith to give lawmakers time to finish appropriations.
Johnson called for a brief extension to Nov. 21 to allow appropriators on both sides of the aisle to complete their work. He noted that members from both parties had agreed that November 21 was an appropriate target date and said the