Johnson: Democrats are “pursuing a very reckless strategy right now”
Asked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” whether he thinks lawmakers will avert a shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “You know me, I’m an optimist. But I am a little skeptical this morning.”
“Whether or not the government shuts down at midnight is entirely up to two people, it’s Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries — primarily Chuck Schumer,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said.
Johnson said Democrats are “pursuing a very reckless strategy right now,” adding “for the life of me, I cannot understand what they hope to accomplish other than giving themselves temporary political cover from the far-left portion of their base who are demanding that they fight Trump.”
“There is no basis whatsoever for them to oppose this continuing resolution,” Johnson said.
Senate to vote on House-passed measure to fund the government
The Senate is expected to again vote on a House-passed measure that would keep the government funded until Nov. 21 at some point on Tuesday.
After the House passed the continuing resolution earlier this month, the measure fell short in the Senate, where a 60-vote threshold is needed to advance most legislation. With 53 Republicans, the GOP needs support from Democrats to fund the government.
Democrats put forward their own proposal earlier this month, which also failed in the Senate. The measure would keep the government funded until Oct. 31 and includes one of their key priorities — extending expiring health insurance subsidies.
Whether more Democrats are willing to back the House-passed bill to keep the government funded this time around remains to be seen.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Monday that he planned to bring up the bill for a vote Tuesday, saying that it’s “up to Democrats” whether a shutdown is averted.
“We have a clean, short-term bipartisan CR sitting at the desk,” he said. “It’s up to them.”
Trump posts fake video of Jeffries and Schumer outside White House; Jeffries calls it “disgusting”
Hours after meeting at the White House with the top two congressional Democrats, President Trump posted a fake video to Truth Social mocking the lawmakers.
The video, which appeared to be generated by AI, shows Schumer and Jeffries standing outside the White House, but splices in fake audio of Schumer claiming Democrats’ plan is to “give all these illegal aliens free health care.” Jeffries, meanwhile, is shown with a moustache and a sombrero, and the Mexican hat dance plays in the background.
In an interview later Monday with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Jeffries called the video “disgusting,” adding: “Bigotry will get you nowhere.”
Schumer responded to the video by writing on X: “If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums.”
Mr. Trump has posted fake images on Truth Social in the past. Over the weekend, he posted a cartoon of him firing his foe, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The president hasn’t attempted to fire Powell.
CBS News has reached out to the White House for comment.