House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) alleged Monday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pressured him to cut a private, “four corners” deal to end the recent government shutdown, an approach Johnson dismissed as “never appropriate” for a short-term funding measure.
Appearing on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Speaker Johnson said the Senate Leader was “insisting that I go into a back room, Leader Thune and I, go into a back room with he and Jeffries and do a four corners agreement to fix this.”
“It’s not possible. It was never appropriate to do that on a short-term funding measure,” Johnson said.
The shutdown concluded after eight Democratic senators broke ranks to support a House-approved short-term funding bill. The outcome represented a political setback for Democrats, who failed to secure the extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of December—a measure Schumer publicly opposed the shutdown deal over.
Johnson argued that Schumer’s actions were a waste of crucial negotiating time.
“We needed the month of October, November, December to work through this [reforms and long-term solutions],” Johnson stated. “And, ironically, because of his shenanigans, they’ve now taken all that time off the clock. So we have a lot more important work to do.”
When pressed on whether he would allow vulnerable frontline Republicans to vote on reopening the government, Johnson affirmed his commitment to a “deliberative process” driven by the House members, noting the small majority margins in the current era necessitate broad member involvement and a focus on “real reforms.”
The conclusion of the 41-day shutdown, which saw eight Democrats back the bipartisan deal, has led to internal criticism of Schumer.
Frustrated Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists have turned fire on the Senate Minority Leader, with some, including Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna (CA) and Seth Moulton (MA), publicly calling for Schumer’s removal, accusing him of losing control of his caucus. RELATED: Chuck Schumer’s Shutdown Saga: When A Victory Looks Like A Playground Loss
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
