Mike Johnson warns government shutdown could be longest in history
Mike Johnson slams Obamacare funding as House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, predicted Monday that the federal government shutdown could become the longest in history, saying he “will not negotiate” with Democrats until they pause their demands for health care and reopen.
The Louisiana Republican blasted the Obamacare subsidies Obamacare plans set to expire, at the center of the standoff over government funding, as a “waste” as the shutdown approaches two weeks with no end in sight.
“The COVID-era Obamacare subsidy, which everyone is talking about and is supposedly the topic of the day, doesn't expire until the end of December. And by the way, it was the Democrats who created that subsidy, who put an expiration date on it,” he said at a news conference Monday, the 13th day of the shutdown.
At this time, Johnson said he was unaware of the details of the thousands of federal employees laid off by the Trump administration, but did warn: “We are heading into one of the longest shutdowns in American history.”
The shutdown has paralyzed routine government operations, closed the Smithsonian museums and other iconic cultural institutions, and left airports clogged with flight disruptions, all of which have added to the uncertainty to an already precarious economy.
Still, Johnson thanked President Donald Trump for ensuring that military personnel would receive their pay this week, removing a major pressure point that could have brought the sides to the negotiating table.
With Congress and the White House at a standstill, some are eyeing the end of the month as the next potential deadline to reopen the government.
That's when open enrollment begins on November 1 for the healthcare program in question, and Americans will face the prospect of skyrocketing insurance premiums.
It's also when government employees with Monthly salaries, including thousands of House aides, will go without pay.
The Republican president insists his party has been willing to discuss health care with Democrats this fall, before the benefits expire at the end of the year. But first, he said,Democrats must agree to reopen the government.
The longest shutdown, during Trump's first term due to his demands for funding to build the US-Mexico border wall, ended in 2019 after 35 days.