WASHINGTON - Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced on Friday that no votes will be held in the House next week.
This is going to be the third straight week that the House of Representatives will be out of session as members of the GOP seek to pressure Senate Democrats to accept their legislation and re-open the government.
The House passed the bill on Sept. 19 and has not been in session since. The Senate has now had seven failed votes on the continuing resolution (CR).
A Senate stalemate
The background:
It's day 10 of the government shutdown and Senate lawmakers only appear to be further divided on the continuing resolution to fund the federal government. It appears this shutdown will roll into a third week after another failed vote, 54-45, on Thursday.
Sixty votes are needed in the Senate to pass the legislation. Only three Democrats have gone across the aisle.
Republicans are seeking to keep the government funded at its current levels until Nov. 21, requesting more time to discuss future action, while Democrats have been steadfast in denouncing the cuts to federal healthcare funding in the GOP's version of the CR.
"Real harm to real people and we're hearing it from our people. The House Republicans right now are in their districts working, trying to help people through this crisis being created by the Democrats. I mean, it's health services, it's nutrition services for young mothers and infant children. It's, you know, all manner of services that are provided. FEMA — they can't write flood insurance policies in the middle of hurricane season because of this nonsense," Johnson said in an interview on FOX News that he posted to his X account.
"We're so angry about it. You know, I'm a very patient guy, but I have had it with these people. They're playing games with real people's lives," he went on to say.
The Associated Press reports that amid the continued stalemate, quiet talks are underway, as small groups of lawmakers are privately trying to negotiate off-ramps.
Democrats hit back
The other side:
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries fired back on Friday, criticizing Republicans for their absence during the crisis and saying they've been "on vacation."
"These people are not serious about reopening the government," Jeffries said on Friday. "Donald Trump and Republicans decided to shut down the government because they'd rather inflict that kind of pain that the American people are experiencing right now than address the healthcare of everyday Americans and the need to urgently extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to avoid tens of millions of Americans from having to pay dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles."
Jeffries says Democrats remain open to talks and are seeking a bipartisan resolution to end the shutdown.
Speaking to Punchbowl News, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he thinks the continuation of the shutdown is beginning to reflect poorly on the president and the Republican Party as a whole.
"Every day we’re getting better and better as the message sinks in more and more deeply," Schumer reportedly said. "Even the pain that’s caused — the data we have seen and just talking to people, they blame Trump. When things are actually shut down, they blame Trump. When things aren’t happening, they blame Trump. Because he’s in charge. You don’t need a political science PhD to understand they control everything."
According to Punchbowl, Schumer said that the Democrats knew healthcare would be a flashpoint in the funding fight.
"We’ve thought about this long in advance, and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30, and we prepared for it," Schumer said.
Federal workers being fired
Trump administration reacts:
Trump administration officials previously warned that furloughed federal workers would begin to be fired if the shutdown continued, and on Friday, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought posted on social media Friday afternoon that the federal layoffs have started.
"RIF" stands for reduction in force — a government term for layoffs. Trump administration officials have said the firings are "a direct consequence" of the government shutdown, but they did not say how many people have been let go, or which agencies were being hit hardest.
This all comes on top of months of federal layoffs under the Department of Government Efficiency. According to an estimate by the Partnership of Public Service, more than 200,000 civil servants have left the workforce through firings, forced relocations and the deferred resignation program offered by the Trump administration.