Republicans Turn on Mike Johnson: ‘We Need the House to Be Functioning’ as Shutdown Drags On
A growing rift is emerging within Republican ranks as frustration mounts over House Speaker Mike Johnson’s insistence on keeping the House in recess amid the ongoing government shutdown. Some GOP lawmakers warn that the extended break isn’t just stalling legislation—it’s putting the Senate’s work in jeopardy.
“The issue is that if we’re gonna do substantive things, like legislation, we can’t just do it in the Senate,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), speaking with NOTUS Thursday on her way to the Senate floor as reported by the outlet Friday. “We need both bodies. So we need the place to be open. We need the House to be functioning.”
The House has been on hiatus since last month after the Senate failed to pass a spending bill, triggering a shutdown that has now stretched into its 24th day, edging toward the 35-day record set in early 2019. But while the shutdown drags on, Johnson has dug in his heels, refusing to call the House back until the Senate passes a funding measure—a stance increasingly unpopular with fellow Republicans.
“In addition to this making it a lot more difficult for us to actually end the shutdown, it also means that we’re not doing all of the things the House was supposed to be doing during this month,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), speaking with MSNBC this week. Kiley, one of the five lawmakers affected by California’s new congressional map, made clear that Johnson’s delay is affecting more than just appropriations: it’s putting the legislative calendar—and GOP priorities—on ice.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) echoed the frustration, albeit more cautiously, telling NOTUS, “There’s so many bills that we’re all working on. I’m working on any number of things that require our colleagues, whether it’s intellectual property in my capacity as chair of the intellectual property subcommittee on Judiciary, or just about any of this work. It requires you to be here… Some staff are furloughed. Other staff are working. That sort of cadence is lost when you’re not here, particularly when you’re not here when you were scheduled to be here.”
The tension is palpable. For lawmakers trying to advance their own agendas, the House’s absence is a roadblock. Johnson, however, has stood firm, claiming that reconvening the chamber now would be a “waste of time” as Senate Democrats resist adopting a spending bill without health care subsidy extensions.
Critics, though, allege the reasoning may not be entirely procedural. Some GOP voices suggest Johnson is stalling to avoid an impending vote on releasing Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting sex-trafficking charges and reportedly had a long personal relationship with President Donald Trump.
The question now is whether Johnson can withstand the mounting pressure from his own party—or if the House will be forced back into session by lawmakers who believe the country can’t afford another day of gridlock.
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