Johnson Leaves WH Meeting, Shares Big Update on Schumer Shutdown

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson placed the blame squarely on Senate Democrats Thursday for the pain of the ongoing government shutdown, arguing that their refusal to cooperate on a temporary funding measure has forced the administration’s hand in cutting bloated federal programs.

“This is the way the system works. This is [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer’s decision, is to hand … the keys to the kingdom to the president,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “He has put himself in that situation, and it’s completely unnecessary. The president takes no pleasure in this.”

The federal government remains partially shuttered after Senate Democrats blocked a seven-week stopgap funding bill passed by the Republican-controlled House. The move has triggered contingency plans across multiple agencies, delaying payments and forcing officials to prioritize essential operations.

Hours earlier, President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social that he would meet with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought — “he of PROJECT 2025 Fame,” as the president put it — to review which programs and agencies should face cuts amid the stalemate.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought … to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.

Under Vought’s direction, the administration has already frozen billions in funding for several New York City transit projects, which Trump has long criticized as wasteful and mismanaged. Agencies are implementing shutdown protocols — delaying nonessential payments, halting new spending, and reviewing all funding priorities to align with White House policy.

Johnson defended Vought’s role as a necessary component of fiscal discipline.
“As you know, whomever is seated in the chair at OMB during the shutdown has to do the same thing,” he said. “We had a 45-minute telephone conference with [Vought] yesterday. He talked to all the House Republicans. He takes no pleasure in this … because Russ has to sit down and decide, because he’s in charge of that office, which policies, personnel and which programs are essential, and which are not. That is not a fun task, and he is not enjoying that responsibility.”

Johnson noted that any OMB director would naturally prioritize the administration’s agenda when determining funding. “Now, when he sits down as the director of OMB, he will obviously have a subjective determination on the priorities,” Johnson said. “And what do you think he would do? Because what would any OMB director do under any president? They’re going to look to see for the administration’s priorities first and ensure that those are funded.”

The Speaker reiterated that the shutdown could end “today” if Senate Democrats simply chose to cooperate.
“It could end today if the Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing for the American people,” Johnson said. “But if they don’t, and if they keep the government closed, it’s going to get more and more painful, because the resources run out, and more and more things have to be reduced and eliminated.”

Senate Democrats have now blocked the clean GOP funding bill ten times since the shutdown began nearly two weeks ago. Despite mounting pressure, Schumer and his caucus adjourned for another extended weekend — ensuring that the impasse will drag into next week.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., vowed to keep reintroducing the House-passed continuing resolution that would reopen the government through November 21.

Although some Republicans are open to negotiating a revised expiration date for the measure, doing so would require the House — currently in recess — to reconvene and pass a new version.

For now, the standoff continues, as President Trump’s team prepares to use the shutdown to surgically target the bureaucratic excesses that conservatives have long demanded be cut.