Tuesday, just moments before the federal government shut down after Congress failed to agree to an extension to keep the government open, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) placed the blame on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Johnson called Schumer “extremely selfish” during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source” for his decision to allow the shutdown to take place.
“We didn’t allow that to happen because I’m more responsible than that,” Johnson said. When the Republicans were in the minority, we delivered the votes to keep the government open because we don’t want to hurt the American people. Chuck Schumer has made the decision unilaterally. He’s the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, and he’s trying to keep the government shut down for his own personal reasons. It is extremely selfish and stunning to me that he is willing to do that. There’s no way out of the trap. We didn’t put partisan provisions in the CR. We could have. I could have loaded that up with all of our partisan policy preferences. But I didn’t because we’re operating in good faith. The reason we need, again, just the short-term extension to November 21 is to allow the appropriators to do their job. They need more time to do it, in a bipartisan fashion, by the way. They agreed — Republicans and Democrats agreed November 21 would be the appropriate day to extend it. That’s all we’re asking for is time.”
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