WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct 2, 2025 – House Speaker Mike Johnson fired back at Senate Democrats Thursday, accusing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of manufacturing a government shutdown crisis to score political points on healthcare, even as Republicans advance a straightforward funding extension to avert the standoff.
In a pointed X post, Johnson dismissed Schumer’s August 29 warning that the GOP had no plan to meet the September 30 deadline, calling it alarmist rhetoric designed to “raise health care costs and harm national security.” Schumer had zeroed in on President Trump’s July “pocket rescission” executive action, which empowers the administration to withhold up to $50 billion in congressionally approved spending without further legislative approval—a move the Democrat labeled as a threat to essential services and a driver of skyrocketing premiums for millions.
“Democrats are playing games with American families’ futures,” Johnson wrote, urging passage of a clean continuing resolution to maintain 2024 spending levels through mid-November. The GOP measure, which cleared the House earlier this week, sidesteps Democratic demands to bundle in an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—premium reductions aiding 13 million enrollees that are due to lapse on December 31.
The brewing impasse echoes past shutdowns, which have furloughed federal workers without fail since 2013. The longest, from December 2018 to January 2019, dragged on for 35 days and inflicted $11 billion in lost productivity nationwide. With non-essential services already grinding to a halt—national parks closing and research grants pausing—economists peg the daily toll at $1 billion from furloughs, delayed contracts, and broader economic drag.
Tensions spiked further Wednesday when the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed agencies to freeze $26 billion in federal grants to Democratic-led states, invoking a “fiscal emergency” amid the funding void. Governors in blue states decried the order as punitive, while Johnson defended it as a necessary safeguard to prioritize core operations like national security and border enforcement.
As bipartisan talks kick off behind closed doors, Johnson expressed frustration with what he called Schumer’s “obsession” with tying the short-term bill to long-term ACA fixes. “We can debate healthcare separately—let’s keep the lights on first,” the speaker told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Democrats, however, show no signs of budging, with Schumer vowing to block any resolution without subsidy protections. “This isn’t about politics; it’s about people who can’t afford to lose their coverage,” a Senate Democratic aide said.
With midterm elections on the horizon, the shutdown’s shadow looms large over voter sentiment. Polls indicate widespread fatigue with congressional gridlock, and both parties risk backlash if the impasse persists.
Johnson’s post, which garnered thousands of likes and retweets within hours, ended on a rallying cry: “Time for Democrats to join us in responsible governance—pass the CR and get back to work.”