Speaker Mike Johnson had a chance to defend his handling of the government shutdown in front of the American people this week — but instead, he punted.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, clearly fed up with the ongoing shutdown and Republican stonewalling, challenged Johnson to a live floor debate on Monday, as federal agencies remained closed into a second week. Jeffries’ goal? Force some honesty into the conversation and shine a light on why the GOP is holding up the process.
“Given the urgency of the moment and the Republican refusal to negotiate a bipartisan agreement, a debate on the House Floor will provide the American people with the transparency they deserve,” Jeffries wrote in a letter. “It will also give you an opportunity to explain your my way or the highway approach to shutting the government down, when Democratic votes are needed to resolve the impasse that exists.”
The response from Speaker Johnson? A hard no — with a side of deflection.
At a Monday press conference, Johnson flatly rejected the idea, calling Jeffries’ offer “nonsense” and labeling the Minority Leader “desperate.” He brushed off the challenge. “I respect him, but we all know what he’s trying to do there,” he insisted, according to Politico.
This is the second time Jeffries has asked Johnson to meet him one-on-one in front of the public. Back in April, Jeffries proposed a similar face-off when House Republicans steamrolled through a massive domestic policy bill without any Democratic input. Johnson ducked that one too.
Now, with the government grinding into week two of a shutdown and real consequences piling up for workers, families, and services across the country, the House is — conveniently — on recess. Johnson told Republicans on a private call over the weekend that they’d get 48 hours’ notice if they needed to return to Washington. In the meantime, they’re staying home while Johnson tries to twist Senate Democrats’ arms into passing the House’s seven-week stopgap bill.
Jeffries, for his part, is keeping the lines of communication open with his caucus, hosting a virtual meeting with House Democrats on Monday night. But there’s no indication the chamber will be called back into session any time soon.
Bottom line: Hakeem Jeffries stepped up and challenged Mike Johnson to explain, publicly and directly, why Republicans are letting the government stay shut down. Johnson blinked — again.
